•  SONG 


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THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 


THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 


BY 

FRANK  MAYER 


NEW  YORK 

MOFFAT,  YARD  AND  COMPANY 
1910 


Copyright,  1910,  by 
MOFFAT,  YARD  AND  COMPANY 

NEW  YORK 

Published,  April,  1910 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.    A  RIFT  IN  THE  LUTE i 

II.    THE  MARK  OF  THE  BEAST n 

III.  As  IT  WAS  IN  THE  BEGINNING 22 

IV.  IN  THE  MIDST  OF  ALARUMS 31 

V.  "  HER  HEART  WON'T  BE  BROKE  NONE  "    .     .47 

VI.    THE  MAN  AND  THE  WOMAN 61 

VII.    BELSHAZZAR 70 

VIII.    THE  PASSING  OF  A  CLOUD 84 

IX.    IN  PART  PAYMENT 100 

X.    THAT  WHICH  is  CESAR'S 113 

XL    FRENZIED  FINANCE 132 

XII.  NOT  STRICTLY  ACCORDING  TO  PROGRAM     .     .152 

XIII.  A  LAUGH  IN  THE  NIGHT 164 

XIV.  A  FAIR  FIELD  AND  NO  FAVORS 176 

XV.    GREAT  EXPECTATIONS 188 

XVI.    THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 204 

XVII.  THE  FROWNING  GODDESS  SMILES    .     .     .     .217 

XVIII.    IN  THE  HOUSE  OF  POTIPHAR 231 

XIX.    MUTUAL  ASSISTANCE 248 

XX.    A  PASSAGE  AT  ARMS 266 

XXL    THE  WIDENING  CHASM 283 

XXII.    THE  RENUNCIATION 294 

XXIII.  BELSHAZZAR  COMES  BACK  TO  STAY      .     .     .  308 


M59741 9 


"  When  a  man  gets  through  playin'  thu  goat  he  gin'ra-lly 
feels  some  obligated  to  act  the  sheep  foh  a  spell,  so's  to  even 
up  thu  deaL" 


RED  McVEY 


THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

CHAPTER  I 
A  RIFT  IN  THE  LUTE 

EVERYTHING  else  was  in  harmony.  If  the  sky  tur 
quoise  was  a  shade  or  two  paler  than  the  prescribed 
robin's-egg,  it  blended  perfectly  with  the  unpronounced 
greens  of  the  sprouting  grass  and  the  uncertain  olive  of 
the  budding  sagebrush.  On  the  crest  of  the  distant 
divide  a  silver-gray  wreath  of  aspens  lay  against  the 
tawny  cheek  of  the  mountain  as  daintily  as  an  otter-fur 
collarette  on  the  neck  of  a  girl.  Even  the  darker  girdle 
of  spruce  and  pine,  lower  down,  lost  its  harsh  individ 
uality,  merging  insensibly  into  the  faded  umbers,  sepias, 
lavenders  and  tans  of  the  graduating  background  where 
the  rocks  and  buckbrush  fell  away  to  the  open  slopes 
beneath. 

On  the  vega  below,  the  alkaline  scars,  as  yet  uncal- 
cined  by  the  sun's  fires  into  glaring  chalkiness,  gave 
no  offense  in  their  moist  neutrality,  and  the  coyote  slink 
ing  dejectedly  among  the  deserted  prairie-dog  mounds 
was,  in  his  ash-colored  surtout,  as  inconspicuous  as  the 
long  wan  shadows  cast  by  the  weak  spring  sun.  In1 
the  hollow  of  the  foothill's  arm  lay  a  little  lake,  fed 
by  a  brook  born  in  heights  so  remote  that  its  purl  was 


2  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

deduced  rather  than  heard,  and  over  all  lay  the  soft 
glow  of  the  fading  twilight,  accentuated  by  the  subtle 
incense  of  the  young  year's  breath. 

It  was  a  symphony  of  tender  half-tone  in  minor 
key,  one  of  these  mystical,  ethereal,  God-painted  Corots 
of  the  great  West  whose  enchantment  outlives  life  itself, 
calling  with  an  insistence  which  will  not  be  denied  until 
the  souls  of  its  hearing  yearn  for  its  bondage  again  and 
return  to  the  rack  of  the  cow-range,  the  torments  of  the 
desert,  the  chain  of  the  eternal  hills. 

The  only  discord  was  in  the  heart  and  speech  of  the 
man  who  swore  savagely  at  his  over-ridden  horse 
stumbling  among  the  loose  bowlders  of  the  half-effaced 
trail.  The  anathema  and  succeeding  spur  thrust  were 
alike  cruel  and  undeserved,  for  the  faithful  beast  had 
borne  his  rider  bravely  throughout  a  long  and  weary 
day's  work,  and  despite  the  favorable  temperature  of 
the  mild  spring  day,  his  chest  was  foam-flecked  and 
sweat-crusted  and  his  gaunt  flanks  heaved  pitiably. 
And  yet  there  was  nothing  particularly  vicious  in  the 
face  of  the  cowpuncher  glaring  so  disconsolately  over 
the  tender  vista.  It  was  a  bit  thin-lipped  and  there 
was  more  than  a  suggestion  of  merciless  hardness  in 
the  deep  lines  about  the  mouth,  but  the  blue-gray  eyes 
were  calm  and  steady  and  there  was  a  sturdy  independ 
ence  in  the  out-thrust  of  his  prominent  chin  and  the 
bird-like  poise  of  his  head  which,  bespoke  either  a  clear 
conscience  or  the  lethal  indifference  of  an  indomitable 
will.  Bull-throated,  yet  withal  of  a  lean,  rangy,  mus 
cular  conformation,  his  every  movement  betokened 
virility  and  force;  an  experienced  frontiersman  would 


A  RIFT  IN  THE  LUTE  3 

have  glanced  approvingly  at  his  well-ordered  equip 
ment,  the  wicked  blue  Colts  in  its  Mexican  holster 
sagging  at  just  the  proper  angle  for  quick  work  on  a 
cartridge  belt  filled  to  the  last  becket,  the  pliable  reata 
hanging  in  unkinked  coils  with  chafed  honda  evincing 
long  usage.  There  was  a  significant  absence  of  fringe 
and  ornament  about  this  man,  yet  the  excellence  of 
materials  was  noticeable,  from  the  selected  buckskin 
of  his  gauntlets  to  the  tempered  steel  of  his  rowels  and 
expensive  Stetson  hat;  and  women  usually  looked  twice 
at  the  broad-chested,  flat-thighed,  bronze-faced  fellow 
who  returned  their  stares  with  disconcerting  assurance. 
It  was  his  habit  to  look  all  things  squarely  in  the  face, 
and  before  his  level  gaze  women  blushed  unaccountably 
and  men  smiled,  squirmed  or  turned  quietly  away 
as  the  circumstances  warranted.  Little  children  alone 
took  liberties  with  him,  and  for  these  the  bold  eyes 
would  soften  wondrously  and  a  rare  gentleness  creep 
into  his  usually  crisp  and  terse  speech. 

The  panorama  stretched  out  before  him  as  he  topped 
the  ridge,  halting  Jiis  horse  instinctively  to  reconnoitre 
the  ground,  was  one  that  would  ordinarily  have  ap 
pealed  to  him,  for  despite  his  prosaic  avocation,  his  was 
the  true  artistic  temperament;  but  to-day  he  looked  with 
weary  unappreciation  bordering  upon  disgust,  and 
mumbled  profanely  under  his  heavy  mustache. 

The  coyote  sneaking  stealthily  among  the  short  sage 
brush  caught  his  eye  and  he  laughed  mirthlessly. 
"  Poor  devil!  Rustling  like  the  rest  of  us  to  keep  his 
miserable  body  and  soul  together  —  and  making  a 
damn  poor  job  of  it.  It  would  be  a  mercy — "  and 


4  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

he  half  drew  the  heavy  revolver  from  its  sheath.  Just 
then  the  wolf  sprang  fiercely  at  a  clump  of  grass  and  a 
plaintive  squeal  rose  upon  the  air.  Then  the  coyote 
trotted  out  into  the  open  with  a  rabbit  hanging  limply 
from  its  jaws  and  made  off  across  the  vega  in  a  swing 
ing  gallop  instead  of  devouring  its  prey  instantly,  as 
one  would  have  naturally  anticipated,  considering  its 
gaunt  and  starved  appearance. 

Under  the  tan  of  the  cowboy's  face  a  darker  flush 
spread  redly. 

"  A  bunch  of  starving  pups  in  the  arroyo  yonder, 
and  I  would  have  wantonly  killed  her.  God !  what,  a 
brute  I  am." 

For  a  space  he  sat  in  silent  self-abasement;  then  as 
his  horse  champed  impatiently  on  the  bit,  he  tightened 
the  rein  and  rode  slowly  down  to  the  little  lake. 

At  its  edge  he  dismounted,  and  after  removing  the 
bridle  so  that  his  horse  could  drink  and  graze  more 
comfortably,  threw  himself  at  full  length  upon  the  short 
grass.  The  well-trained  broncho  would  not  stray  far, 
and  both  needed  rest.  The  coyote  was  still  in  his 
thoughts,  but  his  mood  had  changed.  "  After  all," 
he  meditated,  "  she  got  that  rabbit  unexpectedly  when 
she  sure  needed  It  worst  —  and  she  won  out  by  stay 
ing  with  the  game.  Maybe  my  turn  will  come,  too, 
if  I  don't  get  buffaloed  and  stampede.  Was  it  Sen 
eca  or  Lucretius  —  no,  Havard  —  who  said  that  perse 
verance  is  a  virtue 

''that  plucks  success 
Even   from   the   spear-proof  crest  of  rugged    danger.' 


A  RIFT  IN  THE  LUTE  5 

Well,  in  this  case  I'll  be  virtuous  from  force  of 
necessity.  But  how  long,  oh,  Lord,  how  long?" 

From  which  it  might  be  inferred  that  this  particular 
cowboy  had  some  time  or  other  drank  from  springs 
Pierian  as  well  as  alkaline.  Just  now  it  was  hard  to 
say  which  was  most  bitter  in  his  mouth. 

He  shifted  restlessly  to  his  elbow  and  built  a  cigar 
ette;  through  its  thin  blue  mist  he  waded  retrospectively 
in  the  stream  of  memory.  Rapidly  in  review  passed 
his  boyhood  days  in  the  far  East,  his  college  career  with 
its  vast  ambitions  and  roseate  dreams,  his  migration  to 
the  cloud-kissed  Rockies  where  he  had  suffered  the  un 
doing  of  all  his  mawkish  illusions.  An  idealist  of  the 
most  refined  type,  he  writhed  even  now  at  the  merciless 
rape  of  all  his  virginal  conceptions  by  that  unsympa 
thetic  iconoclast  Practicality,  that  ironical  cynic  who 
laughs  our  adolescent  theories  to  scorn  and  desecrates 
the  holiest  of  our  dream-woven  holies.  All  his  fine 
spun  hopes  had  been  ruthlessly  rent  by  the  hand  of  real 
ity.  Contact  with  humanity  in  its  primeval  phase  had 
worn  his  unusually  refined  sensibilities  to  the  quick  and 
the  reaction  was  as  unhealthy  as  it  was  inevitable. 
From  enthusiastic  optimism  to  hopeless  pessimism  is 
only  a  short  step  for  exaggerated  natures  like  his,  and 
there  were  few  things  that  this  man  now  held  sacred  — 
and  none  that  he  held  holy.  Even  life  itself,  and  par 
ticularly  that  of  other  men,  he  held  in  contempt,  and 
with  the  usual  disastrous  consequences.  There  were 
few,  even  in  this  land  of  reckless  men,  who  cared  to 
arouse  the  slumbering  devil  under  the  quiet  demeanor 


0  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

of  this  gray-eyed  range  rider  who  killed  first  and  argued 
afterward. 

From  the  pinnacle  of  a  great  faith  in  his  kind  he  had 
been  hurled  headlong  to  the  depths  of  unbelief  and  sus 
picion.  He  had  seen  Loyalty  mocked  and  betrayed; 
starving  Intelligence  bought  with  a  price  by  crime-opu 
lent  Ignorance;  naked  Virtue  crouched  shivering  in  the 
shadow  of  exalted,  ermined  Vice;  the  sots  and  trulls  of 
bestial  Sensuality  deified  and  worshiped  in  the  public 
places.  He  had  seen  the  harlotry  of  Society  set  above 
the  sacrament  of  Maternity,  the  butchery  of  embryonic 
souls  so  that  their  lawful  heritage  might  be  squandered 
in  the  prostitution  of  Love  to  Vanity  and  Indolence. 
He  had  witnessed  the  sacrifice  of  every  civic  virtue  to 
the  Moloch  of  Greed  and  Graft,  the  abasement  of  all 
human  motives  to  the  idol  of  Self. 

The  fiercely-drawn  cigarette  burned  his  lips  and  he 
threw  it  away  with  a  snarling  curse,  his  whole  sentience 
revolted  with  the  odor  of  social  corruption,  his  soul 
sickening  in  resentment  of  his  own  undeserved  failure. 
He  had  been  honest  and  industrious,  energetic,  leal  and 
true,  conscientious  in  all  things  —  and  to  what  end  ? 

That  he  might  look  every  man  fearlessly  in  the  face 
by  day  and  go  ahungered  to  a  scant  bed  at  night.  He 
had  labored  servilely  in  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord  and 
been  paid  by  the  contemptuously-thrown  lees  of  the 
vintage.  Thrice  had  he  lost  employment  because  he 
had  indignantly  refused  to  be  a  party  to  mendacity  and 
rascality,  the  recollection  of  his  rather  strenuous  re 
sentment  in  the  last  instance  wrinkling  his  face  with  a 
grim,  unlovely  smile;  it  had  made  an  outlaw  of  him. 


A  RIFT  IN  THE  LUTE  7 

But  the  other  was  an  object  of  compassion  ever  since. 
Another  Ishmael,  he  had  turned  naturally  to  the  clean, 
free  independence  of  the  life  outdoors,  drifting  ulti 
mately  to  the  cow  range.  His  natural  ability  and 
adaptiveness  soon  brought  him  recognition  in  a  sphere 
where  men  are  weighed  in  the  scale  of  their  actual 
worth  as  men,  not  as  puppets  in  the  pantomime  of  con 
ventionality.  It  paid  him  bread  and  he  bedded  where 
and  how  he  chose.  In  the  first  flush  of  independence 
he  felt  a  certain  content,  but  his  was  too  intense  a  na 
ture  —  he  was  cursed  with  too  much  knowledge  and 
ambition  —  and  the  encysted  leaven  began  to  work. 

In  one  thing  he  was  fortunate.  The  hard  outdoor 
work  had  hammered  the  native  iron  of  the  man  into 
finely-tempered  steel  and  he  was  thewed  and  sinewed 
like  a  cougar.  He  had  learned  self-reliance,  which  is 
a  good  thing,  and  self-containment,  which  is  a  better. 
Best  of  all,  he  was  beginning  to  place  a  value  on  himself; 
all  he  needed  was  incentive.  And  such  men  make  their 
own  opportunities. 

The  fast  waning  light  warned  him  that  it  was  time 
to  take  the  trail  again.  It  was  quite  dark  when  he 
swung  himself  into  the  saddle  with  ten  miles  of  rough 
country  to  negotiate,  and  the  trail's  difficulties  in  nowise 
lessened  his  mental  discontent.  For  the  first  time  he 
was  resenting  morosely  the  necessity  of  preparing  his 
own  supper  at  the  end  of  his  journey,  and  he  was  nowise 
gentle  in  the  roping  of  a  fresh  mount  for  the  morrow's 
work  on  his  arrival  at  the  outlying  camp,  where  he  ate 
perfunctorily  and  without  gust;  despite  his  harsh 
fatigue  a  great  restlessness  sent  him  wide,'  with  pipe  in 


8  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

mouth,  into  the  stellar  splendor  that  beatifies  every  clear 
Colorado  night. 

The  thin,  pure  air  was  surcharged  with  ozone  and 
delicately  perfumed  with  the  aroma  of  the  lemonia 
crushing  beneath  his  feet.  A  big  white  moon  topped 
the  far-off  crests  of  the  Continental  Divide,  silvering 
the  cottonwood  fringe  of  the  creek  bank  and  trans 
muting  the  dull  lead  of  the  sagebrush  waste  into  molten 
silver  and  liquid  pearl.  High  up  the  aspens  were  a 
shimmering  sea  of  aquamarine,  and  the  snow  fields  at 
the  foot  of  the  moon  were  scintillating  masses  of  opal; 
the  cloudless  sky  above  was  a  shield  of  steel-blue 
sapphire  emblazoned  with  diamond  stars.  The  sanc 
tity  of  the  profound  solitude  was  as  yet  unbroken  by 
the  inevitable  wolf  wails;  the  tender  benediction  of  a 
supernal  beauty  was  over  all;  and  everywhere,  save  in 
the  hot  heart  of  Ken  Douglass,  was  a  great  Peace. 

Unseeing  the  glory  spread  about  him,  he  tramped 
far  into  the  night,  torn  by  conflicting  emotions,  none  of 
which  could  he  analyze.  He  was  conscious  only  of  a 
great  Desire  whose  inchoateness  maddened  and  bewil 
dered  him,  and  he  stumbled  blindly  through  the  mazes 
of  his  uncertainty,  falling  over  the  truth  at  every  turn 
but  never  once  realizing  it.  Vainly  he  evoked  all  the 
logic  and  reason  at  his  command,  but  the  analogies  of 
a  by  no  means  inconsiderable  experience  failed  him 
utterly.  It  was  ordinarily  characteristic  of  him  to  ar 
rive  at  conclusions  with  a  bound  where  he  himself  was 
the  object  under  consideration,  but  to-night  his  powers 
of  concentration  were  strangely  deficient  and  he  chafed 


A  RIFT  IN  THE  LUTE  9 

as  much  under  the  sense  of  indecision  as  he  did  over 
his  inability  to  diagnose  his  ailment. 

"  What's  the  matter  of  me,  anyhow?  "  he  ruminated, 
lapsing  whimsically  into  the  range  vernacular  which  he 
seldom  affected.  "  Here  I've  been  riding  circle  on 
myself  all  day  and  haven't  rounded  in  even  a  sick 
maverick.  I  reckon  I'm  losing  my  grip  on  myself  — 
and  that's  a  bad  sign.  Guess  I'm  herding  by  my  lonely 
too  much  and  it's  getting  on  my  nerves.  Might  as  well 
be  a  sheep-herd  as  hold  down  this  job;  then  I'd  have 
a  dog  to  talk  to  at  any  rate.  Well,  wolfing  it  like  this 
won't  do  my  complexion  any  good;  guess  I'll  go  and 
get  my  beauty  sleep !  "  But  the  gray  eyes  held  an  un 
usual  languor  when  he  rode  out  in  the  morning,  and  the 
look  of  worriment  increased  with  every  strenuous  hour; 
all  throughout  the  night  had  he  lain  wide-eyed,  and  the 
experience  was  a  disturbing  one.  Never  before  had 
sleep  been  denied  him;  even  on  that  memorable  night 
when,  in  a  difference  of  opinion  as  to  whose  horse  was 
entitled  to  precedence  at  the  public  watering  trough  in 
Tin  Cup,  he  had  roped  and  dragged  nigh  to  death  the 
foreman  of  the  C  Bar  outfit,  he  had  audaciously  crept 
into  the  bunkhouse  of  the  outraged  fellows  who  were 
vengefully  seeking  him  in  every  place  but  the  right  one, 
and  after  calmly  appropriating  the  personal  blankets 
of  his  victim,  had  slept  the  sleep  of  vindicated  virtue. 
That  this  necessitated  his  shooting  his  way  out,  on  his 
discovery  by  the  astonished  outfit  the  next  morning,  in 
nowise  affected  the  soundness  of  his  slumbers;  sleep 
was  imperative  to  this  hard-working  young  man,  and 


io  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

the  incident  had  gone  far  towards  the  establishment  of 
his  standing  on  the  range.  He  had  watered  his  horses 
unchallenged  and  slept  undisturbedly  ever  since. 

Therefore  his  last  night's  experience  was  anomalous 
to  a  degree  and  one  to  be  reckoned  with  seriously.  In 
Douglass's  perplexity  he  decided  to  extend  the  day's 
pasear  to  Tin  Cup  and  get  decently  drunk;  convinced 
that  conviviality  was  the  one  essential  lacking  to  his 
happiness.  He  dismounted  at  the  ford  of  the  creek  on 
the  outskirts  of  the  village  and  looked  solicitously  after 
the  condition  of  his  revolver.  Not  that  he  deliberately 
contemplated  "shooting  up"  the  town;  but  there  was 
always  the  possibility  of  the  C  Bar  gang  coming  into 
town  after  their  mail  and  it  was  only  proper  and  wise 
to  provide  against  contingencies.  And  Ken's  favorite 
maxim  was,  "  Never  overlook  no  bets." 


CHAPTER  II 
THE  MARK  OF  THE  BEAST 

As  he  rode  slowly  up  the  little  squalid  street,  seem 
ingly  lost  in  a  brown  study  and  gazing  abstractedly 
straight  between  his  horse's  ears,  he  was  in  reality 
keenly  alive  to  his  surroundings.  Not  a  face  or  move 
ment  escaped  him,  and  his  mouth  hardened  ever  so 
slightly  as  he  noted  a  couple  of  C  Bar  horses  tied  to 
the  hitching  rail  before  the  door  of  the  Alcazar  saloon. 
Dismounting  leisurely  before  the  grimy  little  shack 
which  did  combined  duty  as  stationery  store  and  post 
office,  he  nodded  casually  to  the  crowd  of  loafers  about 
the  entrance;  if  he  noticed  significant  glances  toward 
the  horses  tied  to  the  railing  across  the  street,  he  made 
no  sign.  And  when  the  old  postmaster  quietly  volun 
teered  the  information,  "  Matlock  is  in  town,"  he  merely 
smiled  his  comprehension  and  rolled  a  fresh  cigarette. 
Matlock  was  the  man  whom  he  had  so  ignominiously 
dragged  at  his  rope's  end  a  month  ago.  And  Matlock 
had  been  indiscreet  of  speech  since. 

At  the  door  he  turned  and  came  back  with  his  hand 
extended  to  his  friend.  "  I  am  sure  grateful  to  you 
for  your  interest,  Hank,"  he  said  gravely.  "  I  noticed 
his  horse  as  I  came  in.  Well,  so-long !  "  and  thrusting 
into  his  pocket  the  bundle  of  mail  at  which  he  had 

ii 


12  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

scarcely  glanced,  went  out,  mounted  his  horse  and  rode 
unconcernedly  toward  the  one  hotel  which  the  embryo 
metropolis  boasted. 

Hank  Williams  scratched  his  head  thoughtfully  as  he 
turned  again  to  the  task  of  assorting  the  afternoon's  mail. 
"  Of  course  he  must  play  his  own  hand,"  he  ruminated, 
"  an'  he'll  come  mighty  nigh  to  winnin'  out.  But  all 
the  same  I'd  like  to  set  in  the  game  a  deal  or  two  my 
self.  Guess  I'll  look  in  at  the  Alcazar  to-night." 

"  I  ain't  got  no  call  to  butt  in,"  he  continued  as  he 
puzzled  over  an  unusually  illegible  address,  "  but  that 
Matlock  is  a  treacherous  coyote  an'  there's  no  tellin' 
what  lowdown  play  he'll  make.  I  just  nacherally  have 
to  keep  cases  to-night."  His  work  finished,  the  old 
man  proceeded  to  carefully  fill  the  empty  loops  of  his 
cartridge  belt  and  there  was  a  grim  determination  on 
his  handsome  hard  old  f  ace  as  he  spun  the  cylinder  of 
his  ".45  "  to  test  its  perfect  action. 

Up  at  the  hotel  an  ambuscade  was  laid  into  which 
Douglass  walked  unwittingly.  As  his  foot  reached  the 
first  of  the  three  low  steps  leading  up  to  the  rickety 
veranda,  an  arm  shot  around  the  corner  of  the  house, 
there  was  a  soft  swis-h-h,  a  chuckle  of  tense  triumph, 
and  the  folds  of  a  lasso  encircled  his  throat.  Involun 
tarily  his  hand  leaped  to  his  holster  on  his  hip  and  the 
ready  gun  came  flashing  half  way  up.  But  after  a 
lightning  glance  at  the  chubby  fist  holding  the  other 
end  of  the  reata,  the  twinkle  in  his  eyes  accorded  but 
illy  with  his  subsequent  plunging  and  yelling  as  he 
sprawled  on  all  fours  and  bawled  like  a  choking  calf. 

Then  from  around  the  corner  rushed  a  sturdy  little 


THE  MARK  OF  THE  BEAST  13 

boy  of  five,  gathering  up  the  slack  of  the  rope  as  he 
came,  followed  by  a  red-cheeked,  star-eyed  girl  of  four, 
who  brandished  a  huge  branding  iron.  Upon  the  pros 
trate  cowpuncher  they  precipitated  themselves  with  a 
yell,  the  boy  deftly  throwing  a  bight  of  the  rope  about 
Ken's  feet  and  drawing  up  the  slack.  Then  placing 
one  foot  on  Douglass's  neck  he  laconically  announced: 

"  Tied !     Put  the  iron  to  'im,  Yule.'7 

The  little  girl  thrust  the  end  of  the  brand  against 
the  brawny  shoulder  now  quivering  with  the  suppressed 
laughter  of  its  owner  and  made  a  quaint  sizzling  noise 
with  her  puckered  lips.  The  cowboy  emitted  an  ago 
nized  bawl  wonderfully  like  that  of  a  calf  in  the  throes 
of  the  red-hot  iron's  bite  and  the  boy  stooped  to  a  crit 
ical  examination.  "  Bueno  !  "  he  said  approvingly,  and 
then  he  untied  the  restraining  coils,  stepped  back  a  pace 
and  gave  Ken  the  ethical  kick  in  the  ribs. 

"  Get  up,  you  chump !  "  he  ejaculated  in  comical  im 
itation  of  Ken's  accent  and  manner  when  at  work  in  the 
branding  corrals.  Douglass  was  his  model  in  every 
thing,  and  only  the  week  before  he  had  the  beatitude 
of  seeing  his  hero  actively  engaged  in  a  similar  em 
ployment  of  the  branding  iron.  But  the  little  girl  laid 
her  soft  cheek  against  the  bronzed  one  of  the  cowboy 
and  whispered  sweetly,  "  Oh !  Ten,  youse  is  weally  mine 
vewy  own  now,  ain't  youse?  Buddy  said  youse  would 
be  if  ve  doed  it." 

The  man  made  two  attempts  before  he  could  answer. 
Then  he  laid  his  lips  reverently  on  the  rosebud  mouth. 
"  Yes,  honey,  I'm  sure  in  your  brand  now,"  he  said 
gently.  And  he  quietly  but  firmly  declined  the  glass 


i4  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

of  whiskey  proffered  him  by  her  father  as  he  sat  her 
on  the  end  of  the  dingy  counter.  The  sweetness  of 
those  little  lips  was  too  fresh  for  that.  Old  Blount 
gave  him  a  keen  look  of  approval  as  he  set  the  bottle 
back.  "  Your  head's  level,"  he  said,  misinterpreting 
Douglass's  motive.  "  Matlock  is  a  quick  mover  even 
if  he  is  a  cur.  And  he's  ugly  to-night." 

"  That  so?"  said  Douglass  indifferently,  playing 
with  the  curls  of  the  little  child  nestling  against  his 
breast.  Mrs.  Blount,  coming  to  announce  that  supper 
was  ready,  shivered  slightly  and  her  kind  brown  eyes 
were  filled  with  an  unspoken  entreaty.  But  he  evaded 
their  wistfulness  and  a  certain  doggedness  gloomed  in 
his  own.  All  throughout  the  meal  he  held  the  child  in 
his  lap,  and  when  he  relinquished  her  to  the  troubled 
woman  he  said  not  unkindly:  "  I  am  not  going  to  get 
drunk  to-night  and  I  shall  do  all  I  can  to  avoid  trouble. 
Of  course  I  am  not  going  to  let  him  kill  me." 

"  Ask  him  to  go  back  to  the  ranch,  dearie,  to  go  back 
at  once  for  your  sake,"  the  woman  said  to  the  child, 
nervously.  "  Just  this  once,  Ken,"  she  pleaded. 
"  You  are  so  young  —  and  life  certainly  holds  so  much 
for  you!"  But  the  child  here  interposed  tearfully: 
"  Ten  shan't  do  home !  Ten  tate  me  widin'  to-mov- 
ver." 

"  That's  what,  honey  1  "  said  Douglass,  with  quiet 
ing  assurance.  u  Out  of  the  mouth  of  babes  — "  he 
quoted  whimsically  and  the  woman  turned  away  with  a 
sigh.  But  all  that  night  a  light  burned  in  her  room 
and  when  little  Eulalie  said  her  prayers  she  knelt  be 
side  her  with  dumbly  moving  lips.  She  had  known  so 


THE  MARK  OF  THE  BEAST  15 

much  misery  and  heartache  in  this  dreadful  place  — 
and  this  young  man  had  once  told  her  that  his  mother 
was  dead.  Strangely  enough,  she  did  not  include  Mat- 
lock  in  her  appeal.  Which  was  manifestly  unfair  and 
essentially  feminine. 

Hank  Williams,  dropping  casually  into  the  Alcazar 
that  night,  noted  with  no  small  satisfaction  that  Doug 
lass  occupied  that  seat  at  the  poker  table  which  com 
manded  the  whole  room  with  the  minimum  of  exposure 
in  his  own  rear.  "  Trust  him  for  thatl  "  he  chuckled, 
but  his  nod  of  greeting  was  anything  but  demonstrative. 
All  the  same  he  unobtrusively  sat  down  at  a  point  where 
he  could  see  in  profile  every  man  in  the  room  and  like 
wise  catch  the  first  view  of  all  who  entered  at  either 
rear  or  front  doors.  Matlock  was  not  in  the  room, 
but  leaning  against  the  counter  of  the  bar  were  three 
of  the  C  Bar  outfit  talking  earnestly  together.  At  the 
other  end  of  the  counter  Blount  was  lighting  an  unus 
ually  refractory  pipe  which  persisted  in  going  out  at 
every  third  puff.  Williams,  noting  a  sharp  projection 
in  the  side  pocket  of  Blount's  coat,  smiled  quizzically. 

"  Derringer,"  he  speculated.  "  Well,  there  ain't  no 
accountin'  for  tastes.  An'  I've  heard  that  Blount  got 
two  men  in  one  scrap  down  in  No  Man's  Land  afore 
he  come  here.  Guess  Ken's  good  for  a  square  deal  all 
right.  But  I  don't  like  Matlock's  dodging  the  play 
in  this  way.  Wonder  what  skunk  trick  he  will  try  this 
time?" 

Nearly  every  other  man  in  the  room  was  indulging 
in  a  like  speculation.  The  only  possible  exceptions 
were  the  C  Bar  men  at  the  counter  and  a  slight,  well- 


1 6  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

dressed  young  fellow  who  was  watching  the  faro  game 
at  the  other  side  of  the  room.  The  latter  was  evidently 
a  stranger  both  to  Tin  Cup  and  to  the  game  in  which 
he  was  so  thoroughly  absorbed.  Williams  looked  him 
over  indifferently. 

"  Tenderfoot,"  he  opined,  "  takin'  in  the  sights. 
Maybe  he'll  see  suthin'  worth  while  if  he  hangs  around 
a  bit  longer."  And  he  smiled  grimly  and  renewed  his 
watch  of  the  doors. 

Less  than  a  year  before,  Matlock  had  an  altercation 
with  a  sheep  herder  over  a  game  of  cards  in  this  very 
room  and  had  been  soundly  thrashed  by  the  unarmed 
man.  The  next  night  the  shepherd's  camp  had  been 
raided  by  a  masked  mob,  his  sheep  ruthlessly  slaugh 
tered,  despite  the  fact  that  he  was  on  the  right  side  of 
the  "  dead  line,"  therefore  entirely  within  his  rights,  and 
himself  shot  to  death  by  the  merciless  marauders.  Of 
course  there  was  no  positive  proof  of  their  identity, 
but  the  consensus  of  opinion  pointed  to  the  C  Bar  out 
fit,  and  the  decent  element  among  the  range  men  had 
held  significantly  aloof  from  Matlock  ever  since. 
Douglass's  escapade  had  in  nowise  affected  his  popu 
larity  among  the  resentful  cattle  owners  who  had  been 
seriously  involved  by  the  outrage  on  the  sheepman;  the 
law  of  the  range  demands  fair  play  and  the  feeling 
against  Matlock  was  further  intensified  by  a  dastardly 
trick  perpetrated  by  him  a  few  days  before  Douglass's 
unceremonious  man-handling  of  him. 

Among  the  men  working  for  the  C  Bar  had  been  a 
quiet  inoffensive  German  named  Braun,  whose  ambition 
was  to  acquire  a  small  ranch  of  his  own.  With  this 


THE  MARK  OF  THE  BEAST  17 

end  in  view  he  had  allowed  salary  to  accumulate  in  Mat- 
lock's  hands  until  it  had  attained  very  respectable  pro 
portions.  Upon  this  little  hoard  Matlock  had  long 
had  designs,  and  one  night  he  seduced  Braun  —  who 
was  a  mere  boy  —  into  a  game  of  cards  where  with  the 
assistance  of  one  of  his  confederate  creatures  he  had 
deliberately  robbed  him  of  every  cent.  This  in  itself 
would  have  aroused  but  little  comment;  every  man  must 
protect  himself  in  card  play  and  any  means  that  can  be 
enforced  to  one's  end  in  poker  are  admissible.  But 
with  the  malicious  brutality  characteristic  of  all  cow 
ardly  bullies,  Matlock  had  subsequently  taunted  his 
victim  with  his  lack  of  perspicuity,  boasting  openly  of 
the  means  he  had  employed,  until  the  boy,  lashed  into 
ungovernable  fury,  had  fumblingly  drawn  his  revolver, 
whereupon  Matlock  shot  him  through  the  head. 

In  the  light  of  self-defense  even  this  would  have  been: 
condoned,  but  one  of  the  dead  man's  friends,  collecting 
his  effects  for  transmission  to  his  widowed  mother,  had 
discovered  that  Braun's  revolver  had  been  rendered  ab 
solutely  useless  by  having  its  hammer  point  shortened 
in  such  a  way  that  it  could  not  reach  the  primers  of  the 
cartridges,  the  weapon  being  therefore  undischargeable. 
It  was  evident  that  the  point  had  been  first  broken  off 
and  the  fracture  cunningly  ground  smoothly  round  so 
as  to  avoid  detection.  And  it  was  whispered  signifi 
cantly  among  the  C  Bar  boys  that  Braun's  gun  had  hung 
for  the  better. part  of  a  day  in  the  ranch  blacksmith  shop 
while  he  was  employed  on  a  distant  irrigation  ditch, 
and  that  Matlock  had  been  refurbishing  some  branding 
irons  in  the  smithy  during  the  interim.  And  one  of  the 


1 8  THE  SONG  OF.  THE  WOLF 

boys  who  had  been  friendly  with  the  dead  man  found 
on  the  edge  of  the  grindstone  a  deeply-cut  indentation 
such  as  is  made  by  the  bite  of  casehardened  steel. 

It  was  now  ten  o'clock  and  Matlock  had  not  put  in 
his  appearance;  the  smoke-dimmed  atmosphere  was 
heavy  with  expectancy  but  Douglass  sat  unconcernedly 
rolling  cigarettes,  occasionally  making  a  bet  and  ex 
changing  the  rude  badinage  inseparable  from  the  game. 
His  face  was  sphinx-like  in  its  immobility  but  the  cold 
lethality  of  his  eyes  was  apparent  even  to  the  inexperi 
enced  tenderfoot,  who  was  growing  strangely  uncom 
fortable  for  some  indefinable  reason.  The  raucous 
clamor  of  the  preceding  hours  had  become  unaccount 
ably  subdued  and  the  soft  flutter  of  the  cards  as  they 
were  dealt  was  distinctly  heard.  A  sudden  gust  of 
wind  slammed  the  insecurely  fastened  door  with  a  sharp 
bang  and  a  man  sprang  quickly  behind  the  precarious 
shelter  of  the  stove;  even  Williams  stiffened  perceptibly 
in  his  chair.  The  C  Bar  men  had  their  hands  on  the 
butts  of  their  revolvers.  The  gray-eyed  man  alone 
smiled  contemptuously  at  the  disconcerted  fellow  grin 
ning  behind  the  stove  and  said  humorously: 

"  Better  take  a  little  bromide,  Jim.  This  night  air  is 
hell  on  the  nerves." 

The  tenderfoot  was  wavering  between  a  conviction 
that  it  was  time  to  go  home  and  a  morbid  inclination 
to  stay  and  see  what  all  this  portended.  Impelled  by 
an  irresistible  impulse,  he  went  over  and  sat  down  be 
side  Douglass,  who  courteously  shoved  back  the  chair 
for  his  better  convenience.  It  was  the  one  just  vacated 
by  the  man  behind  the  stove. 


THE  MARK  OF  THE  BEAST  19 

Then  of  a  sudden  it  happened.  In  through  the  door 
walked  Matlock,  his  bloated  face  working  ominously 
and  an  evil  glitter  in  his  closely-set  eyes.  The  player 
opposite  Douglass,  immediately  between  him  and  the 
newcomer,  rose  with  exaggerated  deliberation  and 
strolled  over  to  the  counter,  asking  for  a  match.  There 
was  a  perfect  litter  of  matches  on  the  table  about  the 
very  respectable  heap  of  chips  and  coin  which  he  had 
accumulated  but  these  were  curiously  overlooked,  and 
what  was  even  more  remarkable,  he  displayed  no  un 
seemly  celeritude  in  returning  to  what  was  plainly  a  very 
profitable  divertisement 

Then  the  tenderfoot,  comprehending,  was  obsessed 
by  a  great  desire  to  go  somewhere  and  he  moved  nerv 
ously  in  his  chair.  The  hand  of  the  man  beside  him 
had  dropped  carelessly  to  his  side  and  involuntarily  he 
shifted  his  chair  a  little  farther  away.  He  wished  now 
that  he  had  gone  home.  But  the  pride  inherent  in 
every  man  worthy  of  the  name  chained  him  to  his  seat. 
He  paled  perceptibly,  but  Williams,  watching  him 
cynically  out  of  the  corner  of  his  eye,  gave  a  grin  of 
appreciative  surprise  at  the  resolute  squaring  of  his 
jaw  and  firm  compression  of  lips. 

"  Blamed  if  the  kid  isn't  game !  "  he  ejaculated  under 
his  breath.  "  But  all  the  same,  if  I  was  him  I'd  mosey 
off  a  leetle  to  one  side  —  and  that  muy  pronto.  The 
work's  apt  to  be  a  bit  wild  in  all  this  yere  durned 
smoke." 

Then  Douglass  did  a  generous  thing. 

"  I  think,"  said  he  quietly  to  the  young  stranger, 
"  that  Blount  over  there  wants  to  speak  to  you." 


20  THE  SONG  OE  THE  WOLF 

The  youngster  looked  him  squarely  in  the  eyes.  "  I 
don't  know  Blount  —  and  if  I  did  it  can  wait."  He 
was  going  to  see  it  out  side  by  side  with  this  man,  come 
what  might. 

Matlock  was  no  fool.  As  he  halted  with  a  swagger 
beside  his  men,  one  of  them  spoke  quickly  in  an  under 
tone  and  he  looked  calculatingly  about  the  room. 
Something  in  the  unfriendly  silence  warned  him  that 
this  time  his  metal  would  be  fairly  put  to  the  test  and 
the  sheer  cowardice  of  the  man  shrank  from  the  ordeal. 
He  would  wait  for  more  propitious  conditions  and  with 
a  well-simulated  nonchalance  he  ordered  drinks  for  the 
house.  The  scant  acceptance  of  his  hospitality  flooded 
his  bloodshot  eyes  with  impotent  rage,  but  he  made  no 
comment  thereon.  He  merely  remarked  that  it  was 
time  to  hit  the  trail,  ignoring  the  titter  of  contemptuous 
surprise  and  disgust  which  greeted  the  announcement. 
Was  this  the  thing  he  had  foresworn  so  rabidly  a  scant 
four  hours  before !  Someone  laughed  jeeringly  and  he 
whirled  like  a  kicked  cur,  the  fires  of  hell  in  his  eyes. 

"  If  anyone  here's  got  any  objections  — !  "  he  began 
furiously  but  he  had  been  weighed  and  found  wanting 
and  the  strain  had  been  relaxed.  The  whole  room  was 
broadly  smiling.  Douglass's  vis-a-vis  had  returned  to 
his  seat,  and  even  the  tenderfoot  was  laughing  in  pure 
relief. 

Matlock's  undoing  was  so  complete  that  he  did  not 
even  resent  Blount's  deep-toned  "  Buffaloed,  by  God!  " 
He  groped  unseeingly  for  the  door,  followed  by  the 
scowling  trio  whose  faces  were  flushed  with  the  awful 
shame  of  his  cowardice.  At  the  threshold  they  stopped 


THE  MARK  OF  THE  BEAST  21 

as  one  man,  these  three;  they  were  brave  men,  if  evil 
ones,  and  their  sense  of  ethics  had  been  outraged  un- 
pardonably. 

"I'll  take  my  time  right  now!"  said  one  of  them 
thickly.  "I  don't  work  for  no  d — d  coward!  "  And 
the  others  acquiesced:  "Same  here!" 

Matlock  glared  at  them  fiendishly  for  an  eternal  mo 
ment,  one  hand  fumbling  at  his  throat,  the  other  fiercely 
gripping  his  gun;  but  they  stared  at  him  with  somber 
contempt  and  deliberately  turned  their  backs.  It  was 
the  last  straw,  and  mumbling  insanely  through  frothed 
lips,  the  now  thoroughly  discredited  and  wholly  dis 
graced  wretch  stumbled  pitiably  out  into  the  night  of  an 
ostracism  more  terrible  than  death. 

Never  again  would  man  of  these  ranges  take  order 
from  him.  Never  again  would  women  —  even  the 
sordid  trollops  of  the  slums  —  give  him  aught  but  a 
pitying  glance.  And  even  the  little  children,  awed  by 
his  shame,  would  shrink  wide-eyed  from  his  contamina 
tion.  For  the  one  sin  unpardonable,  the  one  foul  spec 
ter  against  which  range  mothers  invoke  the  intercession 
of  their  gods,  is  Cowardice. 


CHAPTER  III 
AS  IT  WAS  IN  THE  BEGINNING 

DOUGLASS,  ambling  around  the  hotel  veranda  with  lit 
tle  Eulalie  astride  of  his  neck,  the  next  morning,  bumped 
into  the  tenderfoot  who  had  sat  beside  him  in  the  Al 
cazar.  He  grinned  sheepishly,  for  his  antics  were  any 
thing  but  dignified  and  he  and  the  child  were  both 
shouting  at  the  top  of  their  voices.  But  there  was  only 
appreciation  in  the  younger  man's  eyes  as  he  reflected 
"  and  this  is  the  man  who  waited  smilingly  for  possible 
death  last  night !  "  Aloud  he  said  genially : 

"  Good  morning,  Mr.  Douglass.  They  told  me  over 
at  the  ranch  —  the  C  Bar  I  mean  —  that  I  might  find 
you  here.  At  your  convenience  I  would  like  to  have  a 
talk  with  you." 

Douglass  looked  at  him  curiously.  "  The  C  Bar," 
he  said  wonderingly.  The  young  man  smiled.  "  Yes, 
I  own  it,  as  it  happens.  I  am  Robert  Carter."  The 
cowboy  took  hrs  extended  hand  and  the  young  fellow 
winced  involuntarily.  Eulalie,  after  grave  delibera 
tion,  stuck  out  her  chubby  little  fist. 

"  I  likes  you,  I  fink,"  she  said  with  much  conviction, 
and  Carter  bowed  over  it  with  a  courtesy  that  placed 
him  instantly  in  the  good  graces  of  both. 

"  I  am  honored!  "  he  said  with  characteristic  gentle- 

22 


AS  IT  WAS  IN  THE  BEGINNING        23 

ness.  "  You  are  the  first  lady  I  have  had  the  pleasure 
of  meeting  here,  and  your  favor  is  an  auspicious  omen." 
He  pressed  his  lips  to  the  grimy  fingers. 

The  child  smiled  softly.  "  Youse  may  tiss  my  face 
if  you  wants." 

It  is  worthy  of  note  that  the  cowboy  watching  him 
saw  nothing  incongruous  in  the  flush  of  color  that  suf 
fused  this  tenderfoot's  face  as  he  availed  himself  of  the 
ingenuous  permission.  "  Another  critter  in  your  brand, 
Yulie,"  he  thought,  "  and  this  one's  a  thoroughbred!  " 

They  adjourned  to  the  shady  side  of  the  veranda  and 
Carter,  proffering  his  cigar  case,  said  without  preamble : 
"You  are  a  college  man,  Mr.  Douglass?"  Ken,  puf 
fing  at  the  excellent  Havana,  nodded  affirmation. 

"Yale  '82." 

"  Princeton  '86  myself,"  said  Carter,  and  after  the 
fashion  of  hereditary  rivals  the  world  over,  they 
solemnly  shook  hands  again.  For  awhile  they  smoked 
in  silence,  then  Carter  turned  abruptly.  "  Will  you 
manage  the  C  Bar  for  me  ?  " 

Douglass  puffed  meditatively  for  a  moment.  A 
thunderbolt  from  the  clear  blue  above  would  have  sur 
prised  him  less,  but  no  stoic  ever  bore  a  face  more  im 
mobile  than  that  which  he  turned  toward  the  owner  of 
the  biggest  ranch  on  the  Western  Slope. 

"  How  about  Matlock?" 

"  He  left  this  morning,"  said  Carter  grimly.  "  See 
here,  Douglass,  all  I  have  in  this  world  is  invested  in 
the  ranch.  My  family  —  I  have  a  mother  and  sister 
—  has  no  other  source  of  income.  The  outfit  is  badly 


24  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

run  down  and  I  find  it  to  be  in  bad  flavor  with  every 
body  in  this  section." 

Douglass  looked  at  him  in  surprise.  "  Why,  I 
thought—" 

"  So  did  I,"  said  Carter  sententiously,  "  but  I  was 
wrong.  I  haven't  had  time  to  investigate  the  leak,  but 
about  half  my  fortune  has  seeped  through  it  and  it's 
got  to  be  stopped.  I  want  a  capable  man,  whom  I  can 
trust,  to  take  full  charge  and  put  it  back  on  its  feet. 
Will  you  take  the  job?  " 

Ken  looked  at  him  with  a  new  understanding;  this 
was  a  different  man  from  the  white-lipped  one  who 
had  writhed  so  uncomfortably  beside  him  the  night  be 
fore.  There  was  no  indecision  in  the  tense,  vibrant 
voice,  and  the  almost  effeminately  delicate  features  were 
strong  with  a  great  determination.  The  cowboy  was 
suddenly  filled  with  a  conviction  that  Tin  Cup  had  un- 
derweighed  this  tenderfoot. 

"Do  I  get  a  free  hand?"  he  asked.  "I  can  only 
work  my  own  way." 

Carter  nodded  shortly.  "  The  actual  work  will  be 
yours  absolutely  but  I  will  take  care  of  the  outside  busi 
ness  end.  I  have  a  knack  that  way  —  and  I  need  some 
thing  to  keep  me  busy.  So  far  I've  had  no  time  for  in 
vestigation  —  came  in  on  the  stage  yesterday  afternoon 
and  put  up  at  Vaughan's,  old  friends  of  mine  —  but  will 
get  at  the  bottom  of  things  to-day.  You'll  take  hold  on 
the  first;  that  will  give  you  a  week  to  clear  up  your  work. 
You'll  start  at  three  thousand  a  year.  And  now  I'll  go 
back  to  the  ranch  and  get  busy." 

They  shook  hands  and  Douglass  said  slowly:  "  I'll 


AS  IT  WAS  IN  THE  BEGINNING       25 

do  what  I  can."  And  Carter  was  filled  with  great  sat 
isfaction,  for  he  knew  that  was  a  pledge  which  would 
see  fulfillment. 

When  he  had  gone,  Ken  sat  for  a  long  time  in  silent 
meditation.  "  I  guess  I've  arrived !  "  he  confided  to 
the  little  girl  who  finally  waked  him  out  of  this  reverie. 
"  Yulie  dear,  it  pays  to  stay  with  the  game !  "  And  he 
went  in  to  the  congratulations  of  Blount  and  his  wife, 
who  were  overjoyed  at  his  good  fortune. 

Down  at  the  Alcazar  he  found  the  three  riders  who 
had  deserted  Matlock  overnight.  "  I'm  taking  charge 
of  the  C  Bar  on  the  first,  boys,"  he  said  simply,  "  and 
I'd  like  you  to  stay  on  with  me  if  you  will.  There's 
going  to  be  a  clean-up  and  a  new  deal.  I'll  play  square, 
and  you're  all  good  hands.  What  d'ye  say?  " 

The  three  looked  interrogatively  at  each  other  and 
then  Reddy  McVey,  the  man  who  had  taken  the  initia 
tive  the  night  before,  said,  "  I  reckon  we'll  stay." 

"  That's  good !  Your  pay  will  go  right  along  with 
out  any  docking  and  I  want  you  to  go  back  to  the  ranch 
after  we've  had  a  drink,  and  finish  up  your  corral  build 
ing.  And  you  might  tell  all  the  other  boys  that  I  won't 
make  any  changes  —  unless  I  have  to.  Sabe?" 

They  grinned  their  full  understanding  of  the  underly 
ing  significance  of  that  qualifying  clause,  and  Red  as 
sured  him  that  the  rest  of  the  outfit  would  stay. 
"  They're  all  good  boys  ef  they  are  a  leetle  free  on  the 
bit,"  he  confided.  "  An'  they've  only  been  obeying  or 
ders."  Ken  nodded  his  comprehension  and  the  deal 
was  properly  ratified. 

Over  at  the  post  office  Williams  was   frankly  ex- 


26  THE  SONG  OF  THE  \VOLE 

ultant.  "  Best  move  ever  made  on  the  C  Bar,"  he 
swore.  "  That  tenderfoot  has  more  savvy  than  I  giv' 
him  credit  for.  He's  a  sandy  cuss,  too.  I  was  keepin' 
cases  on  him  las'  night  and  he  shore  panned  out  good. 
Looks  a  heap  more  like  his  mam  than  he  does  like  th' 
ole  man ;  reckon  that's  why  I  didn't  get  onto  the  brand 
quicker.  There's  good  leather  in  your  new  boss, 
Ken." 

"  Kem  in  yere  this  mawnin',"  continued  the  loqua 
cious  old  fellow,  "  an'  says  —  fust  crack  outer  th'  box 
— '  What's  th'  name  o'  the  feller  who  sits  next  to  me  las' 
night;  the  one  who  was  waitin'  fer  Matlock  to  make  a 
break?  '  er  words  to  thet  effect.  '  How  d'ye  guess  it?  ' 
I  axes,  bein'  some  took  aback  —  fer  I  didn't  think  he 
was  wise  ter  the  play.  '  Will  ye  tell  me  his  name, 
man!'  sez  he,  kinder  impatient;  'I'm  in  a  hurry.' 
Then  I  give  him  your  handle  an'  bymeby  he  twisted 
your  pedigree  outer  me,  too.  Not  that  he  axes  me  any 
questions  ter  speak  of,  but  somehow  I  slops  over  with 
out  thinkin'  an'  he  listens  sharp.  '  You're  a  friend  o' 
hisn  ?  '  he  says,  quiet  like.  *  Well,  I  don't  wonder  none. 
That's  a  man ! '  sez  he.  '  An  he's  going  to  be  my  mana 
ger  if  I  can  fix  it.  I'm  Carter,  o'  ther  C  Bar ! ' 

"  Say  I,  '  th'  hell  ye  are !  I  knowed  ole  Bob  Carter 
afore  ye  was  earmarked.  You  don't  look  none  like 
him.'  But  his  jaws  snaps  amazin'.  *  My  father  is 
daid,'  he  whips  out,  '  but  I  am  Robert  Carter  all  the 
same.'  I  axes  his  pardon  an'  he  hikes  out  on  your 
trail.  An'  I  sez  to  myself,  he's  some  man,  too !  " 

Douglass  going  out  encountered  a  lady  just  entering 
the  store.  As  he  stepped  aside  to  allow  her  passage- 


AS  IT  WAS  IN  THE  BEGINNING       27 

way  through  the  narrow  door,  their  eyes  met  momen 
tarily  and  she  flushed  slightly  at  the  unconscious  bold 
ness  of  his  look.  Yet,  curiously  enough,  she  took  no 
offense  thereat,  and  turned  around  as.  old  Williams 
bawled  out,  "  Hey,  there!  Douglass.  Come  back  yere; 
IV  got  a  letter  fer  you  I  overlooked  yisteday." 

Out  of  the  tail  of  his  eye  the  man  saw  that  the  woman 
was  young,  dressed  quietly  yet  in  exquisite  taste,  and 
that  she  was  extremely  good  to  look  at.  She  was  evi 
dently  a  stranger,  yet  there  was  something  intangibly 
familiar  about  her  features.  It  was  not  until  that  night 
that  he  traced  the  resemblance  to  Carter,  when  he  knew 
immediately  that  this  was  the  sister  of  whom  his  em 
ployer  had  spoken.  And  although  none  knew  better 
than  he  the  disparity  of  their  social  planes,  he  dropped 
off  to  sleep  wishing  that  her  stay  on  the  ranch  would 
be  indefinitely  prolonged,  for,  next  to  a  horse  he 
deemed  a  woman  the  most  creditable  and  handsome  of 
divine  creations,  and  beauty  he  adored  both  in  the  con 
crete  and  abstract.  It  would  be  very  pleasant  and 
agreeable  to  come  in  contact  occasionally  with  this  ex 
tremely  pretty  girl;  it  would  ameliorate  the  coarse,  hard 
routine  of  his  work  just  as  the  finding  of  a  cluster  of 
mountain  heart's-ease  had  often  before  dispelled  the 
gloom  of  a  hard  day's  ride.  His  thought  of  her  was 
purely  impersonal  as  yet.  He  slept  dreamlessly  the 
sleep  of  healthy,  heart-whole  youth  and  when  he  waked 
with  the  dawn  he  had  practically  forgotten  her  exist 
ence. 

And  the  woman?  Well,  after  the  fashion  of  woman, 
she  thought  more  than  once  of  the  bronzed  young  fel- 


28  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

low  who  had  looked  at  her  so  audaciously.  As  she 
asked  for  her  mail  old  Williams  had  volunteered  some 
interesting  information. 

"  So  you  are  Bob  Carter's  leetle  gal,  the  one  he  used 
to  brag  on  so  much  to  the  boys,  eh?  Well,  durn  my 
pictur',  if  he  didn't  have  good  reason  to !  You  look 
like  your  mammy,  Miss,  and  she  were  the  puttiest  filly 
that  ever  run  over  this  range  !  An'  as  good  as  she  were 
purty!  I  mind  oncet — "  and  there  followed  an  inter 
minable  string  of  reminiscences  very  interesting  to  the 
girl  but  of  no  moment  to  this  story. 

"  That  feller  thet  jest  went  out  is  your  brother's  new 
foreman,  Ken  Douglass,  the  sandiest  galoot  an'  best 
cowman  on  this  range,"  he  concluded.  "  Of  course  he 
didn't  know  who  you  was  or  he'd  a  spoke  to  you,  'deed 
he  would!  Ken's  real  polite."  The  girl  smiled  at  his 
earnest  assurance  and  said  gently:  "I  am  quite  sure 
of  it." 

"  Betcher  life !  "  affirmed  the  old  man  enthusiastic 
ally.  "  He's  too  da  —  er,  hem !  too  much  polite  to 
some  cattle  as  doesn't  desarve  it,  accordin'  to  my  way 
o'  thinkin'.  Why  las'  night  he  actoolly  waited  for  a 
feller  to  begin  killin'  of  him  before  drawin'  his  own 
gun!  It  waz  plumb  downright  keerless  o'  him,  an' 
some  day  he'll  get  it  good  an'  plenty  ef  he  don't  watch 
out!" 

Then,  seeing  the  look  of  white  consternation  in  the 
girl's  face,  he  shut  up  like  a  clam,  saying  only  that  Ken 
could  "  take  a  plenty  good  keer  o'  hisself,  when  he 
wanted  to."  She  went  away,  wondering  what  manner 
of  man  that  could  be  who  had  not  his  own  personal 


AS  IT  WAS  IN  THE  BEGINNING       29 

welfare  constantly  in  mind,  that  being  proverbially  the 
first  law  of  nature.  Her  wonder  increased  when,  on 
casually  mentioning  her  chance  encounter  with  him, 
Mrs.  Vaughan  had  acquainted  her  with  as  much  of 
Douglass's  record  as  was  common  property.  It  was  so 
new  to  her,  so  abnormal  in  every  particular  when  com 
pared  with  her  own  code  of  ethics,  that  she  was  a  little 
bewildered.  She  was  shocked  not  a  little  at  Mrs. 
Vaughan's  frank  enjoyment  of  the  watering-trough 
episode  and  the  ensuing  bravado  of  the  dare-devil  fel 
low  who  had  deliberately  entered  the  lion's  den  to  in 
tensify  the  indignity  put  upon  her  brother's  outfit.  Yet 
somehow  the  indomitable  courage  of  the  man  appealed 
to  her  strongly;  all  women  love  personal  valor  and  this 
was  the  most  exaggerated  example  of  it  that  had  ever 
come  to  her  notice.  She  distinctly  disapproved  of  the 
motive  of  it,  but  she  blushed  to  think  how  glad  she  was 
that  he  had  come  safely  out  of  the  jaws  of  death  with 
colors  flying. 

Strangely  enough,  she  appreciated  the  Alcazar  in 
cident  to  the  full,  and  at  her  brother's  graphic  relation 
evinced  no  surprise.  She  could  readily  understand  this 
kind  of  courage  and  she  only  commended  his  tact. 
"  He  was  master  of  the  situation,"  she  remarked,  with 
an  insight  into  the  facts  astonishing  in  one  who  had 
never  in  all  her  life  heard  a  word  spoken  in  anger ;  "  and 
it  is  absurd  to  think  that  he  was  ignorantly  exposing  him 
self  to  inevitable  death.  He  would  have  shot  first  in 
any  event  —  and  I  think  he  would  have  hit."  A  con 
clusion  so  prescient  that  her  brother  gasped  with 
astonishment. 


30  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF. 

"  I  guess  your  estimate  of  him  tallies  with  mine, 
sis,"  he  said  teasingly.  "  I  fell  in  love  with  him  at 
first  sight" 

"  How  perfectly  absurd !  "  she  returned,  with  a  re 
buking  hauteur,  and  deftly  changing  the  subject  pro 
ceeded  to  regale  Mrs.  Vaughan  with  the  details  of  New 
York's  latest  operatic  sensation.  But  she  relented 
enough  to  clasp  her  soft  white  arm  about  her  brother's 
neck  just  before  retiring  that  night  and  whisper: 

"  It  was  very  lovely  and  noble  of  him  to  try  and  send 
you  out  of  danger.  Ohl  Bobbie,  what  would  I  have 
done  if—" 

Carter  kissed  her  tenderly.  "  It  was  the  whitest 
thing  I  ever  saw,  Grade,  and  I  want  you  to  try  and  help 
me  make  it  up  to  him.  The  man  is  a  gentleman,  too, 
no  matter  what  his  past  has  been.  And  with  your  aid 
we  will  keep  him  such.  Besides,  our  fortune  is  in  his 
hands  to  all  intents  and  purposes  and  something  tells 
me  we  are  going  to  owe  him  much  in  the  days  to  come." 

It  may  have  been  telepathy,  and  then  again  it  may 
have  only  been  coincidence;  but  certain  it  is  that  at  the 
very  moment  Grace  Carter  knelt  beside  her  little  white 
bed,  Ken  Douglass  sitting  on  the  edge  of  his  bunk  took 
from  about  his  neck  a  slender  gold  chain  to  which  was 
attached  a  locket,  opened  it  with  trembling  hands  and 
laid  his  lips  with  infinite  tenderness  and  reverence  on  the 
mouth  of  the  sweet-faced  woman  pictured  therein. 

"  Oh !  Mother,"  he  prayed,  "  help  me  to  make 
good!" 


CHAPTER  IV 
IN  THE  MIDST  OF,  ALARUMS 

LUXURIOUSLY  hammocked  in  the  delightful  cool  of 
the  broad  veranda  surrounding  three  sides  of  the  C 
Bar  ranch  house,  Grace  Carter  lay  dreamily  watching 
the  shadow-dance  on  the  slope  of  the  fast  purpling 
range.  Outside,  the  sun  devils  were  whirling  mali 
ciously,  here  and  there  kicking  up  a  dust-spout  in  the 
wake  of  the  sadly-tormented  breezlets  which  foolishly 
ventured  out  in  that  July  inferno.  Overhead  the  sun 
was  herding  his  cloud  flocks  to  their  fold  in  the  brassy 
west,  wearily  dipping  out  of  sight  momentarily  amidst 
their  billowy  fleeces.  There  was  an  intolerable  shim 
mer  on  the  low-lying  adobe  flats  to  the  east,  and  the 
sea  of  alfalfa  to  the  north  drooped  flaccidly  in  the 
furnace  heat. 

Her  neglected  novel  lay  limply  on  a  bamboo  tabour 
at  her  side  and  an  open  letter  lay  where  it  had  fallen 
unrecked  on  the  veranda  floor.  On  the  wide  rail 
shelf  blazed  a  glory  of  multi-colored  cacti  artistically 
potted  in  harmoniously  contrasting  cool-gray  jars.  A 
luxuriant  wistaria  at  the  porch  angle  behind  her  supplied 
the  requisite  foil  for  as  perfect  a  picture  as  ever  filled 
the  eye  of  mortal  man,  and  Douglass,  coming  noise 
lessly  through  the  fetlock-deep  dust  of  the  driveway, 
reined  up  his  tired  horse  in  eager  admiration. 


32  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

The  girl,  lulled  to  sleep  by  the  languor  of  the  hour, 
was  very  good  to  look  upon  and  his  eyes  drank  in  her 
beauty  greedily.  Her  hands,  locked  together  under  the 
shapely  head,  were  hidden  in  the  wealth  of  golden 
brown  hair  that  somehow  had  escaped  its  fastenings  and 
lay  in  an  aureole  of  glory  about  her  delicately-chiseled 
face.  The  wide  sleeves  of  the  thin  lavender-tinted  silk 
kimono  had  fallen  away  from  her  arms,  revealing  their 
soft  rounded  contour  and  exquisite  modeling.  The 
clinging  stuff  of  her  filmy  gown  betrayed  every  perfec 
tion  of  outline,  and  peeping  over  one  edge  of  the  ham 
mock  was  just  a  ravishing  suspicion  of  silk-stockinged 
foot  and  ankle,  dainty  as  a  child's.  Her  skin,  tanned 
golden  tawny  to  the  limit  of  the  sun's  daily  caress,  be 
trayed  its  true  coloring  in  the  creamy  white  hollow  of 
her  uncovered  throat,  where  the  treacherous  fabric  had 
failed  in  its  trust.  The  lips,  not  too  full  but  rather  of 
a  gentle  firmness,  were  slightly  parted,  revealing  well- 
shaped  teeth,  and  the  eyelashes  and  brows  were  long 
and  beautifully  arched. 

As  he  sat  unconsciously  glowering  at  her,  she  moved 
slightly  and  the  kimono  slipped  to  one  side,  exposing 
the  bodice  of  thin  stuff  beneath.  Through  its  folds  the 
rise  and  fall  of  her  bosom  were  distinctly  perceptible. 
He  whirled  his  horse  with  a  deep-chested  oath  and  rode 
unseen  to  the  stables.  Taking  something  from  his 
saddle-roll,  he  tiptoed  back  to  the  veranda  and  with 
out  once  looking  at  the  sleeping  girl  laid  it  on  the  open 
novel. 

Waking  an  hour  later,  she  chanced  to  look  casually  at 
the  tabour.  With  a  little  cry  of  pleasure  she  picked 


IN  THE  MIDST  OF  ALARUMS          33 

up  the  heart-shaped  bit  of  moist  moss  with  its  embedded 
cluster  of  mountain  heart's-ease  and  her  eyes  were  very 
soft  as  she  laid  it  to  her  lips.  There  was  no  uncer 
tainty  as  to  their  source;  she  knew  that  these  were  the 
first-offerings  of  the  season,  procurably  only  In  the 
hardly  penetrable  canons  of  the  range,  more  than 
twenty  dusty  miles  away,  and  she  felt  very  grateful. 
She  wore  them  on  her  corsage  that  night  at  dinner  and 
later,  coming  on  him  smoking  his  post-prandial  pipe 
under  the  stars,  thanked  him  graciously. 

As  he  muttered  the  conventional  commonplaces 
of  depreciation,  his  gleaming  eyes  were  riveted  for  a 
moment  on  the  flowers.  Something  in  the  intensity  of 
his  glance  struck  her  like  a  blow;  she  paled  and  instinc 
tively  covered  the  blossoms  with  both  hands.  Instantly 
her  mind  reverted  to  her  afternoon's  siesta  and  her 
cheeks  flamed  with  consciousness.  She  was  far  from 
unsophistication ;  she  had  seen  men  look  so  before  but 
never  with  a  similar  acceleration  of  her  heart-beats, 
never  with  this  fierce  resentment  which  now  coursed 
though  her  whole  being.  She  was  quivering  with  a 
sense  of  vague  outrage  and  her  breath  came  fast  and 
hard.  Then  with  the  unaccountability  of  the  unfath 
omable  feminine,  she  deliberately  detached  one  of  the 
dainty  blooms  and,  standing  with  the  filmy  laces  on  her 
bosom  brushing  against  his  chest,  deftly  fastened  it  on 
the  lapel  of  his  coat.  After  all,  the  man  had  ridden 
far  that  day  for  her  pleasure,  and  she  smiled  inscrutably 
as  she  recalled,  on  retiring  that  night,  how  his  hands  had 
clenched  and  his  breast  heaved  when  she  had  given  him 
the  flower.  The  rest  of  the  violets  were  sadly  wilted 


34  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

now  and  she  threw  them  out  of  the  window  with  a 
sudden  impatient  anger. 

But  an  hour  later  a  great  horned  owl,  watching  from 
a  fence  post  the  moonlit  sward  in  front  of  the  veranda 
in  hopes  of  a  possible  mouse  for  his  belated  supper, 
hooted  his  contemptuous  derision  of  another  white-robed 
hunter  groping  in  the  shadows.  And  over  at  the  bunk- 
house  a  man  with  self-revilement  was  fumbling  with  a 
spray  of  heart's-ease  and  looking  into  vacancy. 

When  she  came  down  to  breakfast  the  next  morning 
Douglass  was  already  far  out  on  the  range.  He  had 
thrown  his  whole  heart  and  soul  into  his  work  and  the 
effect  was  already  visible  to  the  most  casual  observer. 
The  ranch  grounds  had  been  thoroughly  policed,  all 
the  halting  projects  of  Matlock's  regime  had  been 
spurred  to  finality,  and  cleanliness,  method  and  order 
had  replaced  the  previous  chaos  and  squalor  of  the  C 
Bar.  Everything  radiated  the  new  manager's  virility 
and  energy.  The  renovated  ditches  were  glistening 
bank  full  with  their  life-giving  floods;  the  alfalfa  and 
grain  fields,  now  properly  kept  and  irrigated,  were  bil 
lowy  seas  of  emerald  fore-promise;  everything  betok 
ened  activity  and  thrift.  In  three  short  months  he  had 
wrought  wonders  with  the  really  excellent  material  at 
hand  and  the  C  Bar  was  fast  regaining  its  old-time 
prestige  as  the  best-ordered  ranch  west  of  the  Divide. 

Carter  was  openly  enthusiastic  over  the  wisdom  of  his 
choice  of  managers,  a  wisdom  which  he  shrewdly  sup 
plemented  by  giving  Douglass  full  sway  in  the  conduct 
of  affairs.  At  the  latter' s  suggestion,  he  went  East  in 
June  to  secure  certain  necessary  machinery,  and  the 


IN  THE  MIDST  OF  ALARUMS         35 

letter  which  had  lain  beneath  her  hammock  the  previous 
day  was  one  written  to  Grace  by  her  brother  announcing 
his  intention  to  have  their  mother  accompany  him  on  his 
return.  The  girl,  interested  by  the  novelty  of  her  new 
environment,  had  elected  to  remain  on  the  ranch, 
laughingly  asserting  that  it  was  a  precautionary  measure 
in  her  brother's  behalf,  as  she  was  sure  Douglass  had 
designs  on  the  picturesque  old  ranch  house  and  would 
tear  down  and  rebuild  it  if  not  restrained  by  her  pres 
ence.  The  real  truth  was  that  she  knew  in  his  loyal 
respect  for  her  he  would  abstain  from  excesses  in  which 
he  might  be  tempted  to  indulge  in  the  absence  of  that 
restraint.  She  was  not  quite  sure  of  the  moral  forti 
tude  of  this  erratic  young  man,  and  even  temporary 
interference  with  his  work  was  a  contingency  calamitous 
to  the  C  Bar  interests.  Up  to  last  night  she  had  felt 
only  a  great  self-complacency  over  the  result;  but  this 
morning,  toying  with  her  usually  much-relished  berries 
and  cream,  she  was  obsessed  by  the  insistent  thought 
that  her  self-congratulation  was,  after  all,  a  trifle  pre 
mature.  The  longer  she  reflected,  the  more  she  re 
gretted  that  she  had  not  gone  back  East  with  her 
brother.  Not  that  she  was  in  the  slightest  degree  ap 
prehensive  of  any  untoward  futurity;  it  was  only  that 
a  new  and  unexpected  factor  had  intruded  itself  into 
her  already  perfected  scheme  for  the  restoration  of  her 
brother's  fortune  —  and  the  reclamation  of  Ken  Doug 
lass. 

Women  are  usually  creatures  of  one  idea,  and  she 
was  no  exception  to  the  general  rule ;  her  whole  mental 
ity  had  been  concentrated  on  this  one  achievement,  and 


36  THE  SONG  OE  THE  WOLF 

here  at  the  very  outset  the  fair  fabric  of  her  dreams 
was  crumbling.  She  was  oppressed  with  a  sense  of 
impending  defeat  that  grew  more  and  more  disquieting 
as  she  recalled  the  stories  she  had  heard  of  his  indomi 
table  will  and  pertinacity  of  purpose.  She  had  been 
much  impressed  by  a  remark  made  by  old  Hank  Wil 
liams  on  the  morning  of  their  first  encounter,  "  Ken 
allus  gits  what  he  goes  after!  " 

At  the  time  she  deemed  it  a  very  grand,  almost 
heroic  attribute,  but  just  now  it  was  fraught  with  a  new 
significance.  Something  in  her  cogitations  sent  the 
blood  to  her  face,  then  it  receded,  leaving  her  pale. 
She  pushed  the  untasted  food  away  impatiently  and 
rose  from  the  table.  Going  swiftly  to  her  room,  she 
took  from  between  the  leaves  of  her  diary  a  cluster  of 
withered  flowers  and  stepped  to  the  open  window.  In 
the  very  act  of  their  contemptuous  casting  away  she  hesi 
tated  irresolutely,  looked  at  them  once  more  compas 
sionately  and  replaced  them  in  the  morocco-bound  book 
let.  Then  with  an  air  of  renewed  determination  she 
returned  to  her  breakfast  and  ate  everything  comestible 
in  sight. 

That  night  when  Douglass  returned,  he  bore  in  his 
arms  a  tiny  antelope  kid  which  he  laughingly  entrusted 
to  her  tender  mercies.  In  his  ride  over  the  range  he 
had  come  upon  one  of  the  pitiful  little  tragedies  com 
mon  to  the  great  Outdoors  with  its  unending  struggle 
of  the  weak  against  the  strong  and  merciless.  In  a 
little  hollow  of  the  foothills  its  mother,  hamstrung  by 
a  pair  of  wolves  and  exhausted  by  her  gallant  fight 
against  the  inevitable,  was  making  a  last  frantic  effort 


IN  THE  MIDST  OF  ALARUMS          37 

to  defend  her  offspring  cowering  between  her  feet. 
The  revolver  flashed  twice  vengefully  and  then  a  third 
time  mercifully,  for  the  poor  doe's  condition  was  hope 
less.  But  of  this  third  shot  Douglass  said  nothing  to 
Miss  Carter,  simply  saying  that  the  doe  had  succumbed 
to  her  injuries.  Neither  did  he  deem  it  advisable  to 
tell  her  that  with  the  economy  and  thrift  inseparable 
from  plainsmen,  he  had  sent  the  carcass  of  the  martyred 
mother  to  one  of  his  outlying  camps  to  eke  out  its  larder, 
and  so  save  the  otherwise  necessary  sacrifice  of  a  valu 
able  yearling  for  camp  meat.  Nor  did  he  mention  the 
fact  that  this  had  occurred  quite  early  in  the  afternoon, 
necessitating  his  "  packing  "  the  helpless  kid  about  on 
his  saddle  for  many  weary  miles. 

The  girl's  eyes  had  filled  at  his  simple  recital  and  she 
cooed  assuringly  to  the  kid,  which  nestled  contentedly 
in  her  arms.  But  something  in  her  eyes  and  about  her 
lips  as  he  threw  the  wolf  pelts  at  her  feet  caused  the 
man  to  look  at  her  curiously.  He  had  seen  that  expres 
sion  once  before  on  the  face  of  the  wife  of  the  dead 
sheepman  when  some  one  had  told  her  of  the  finding 
of  a  C  Bar  rider  with  a  load  of  buckshot  through  his 
heart  some  weeks  after  the  assassination  of  her  husband. 
There  had  been  no  over-officious  zeal  displayed  by  the 
authorities  in  their  attempts  to  fix  the  responsibility  of 
the  man's  death,  despite  the  fact  that  the  sheepman's 
son  possessed  one  of  the  only  three  shotguns  in  the  coun 
ty,  the  deceased  being  reputedly  a  "  bad  man  "  and  noto 
riously  the  creature  of  Matlock.  He  it  was  who  had 
assisted  in  the  fleecing  of  poor  Braun,  and  the  general 
consensus  of  opinion  was  that  "  he  only  got  what  was 


38  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLE 

coming  to  him!  "     The  code  of  the  range  is  as  drastic 
as  it  is  simple. 

"  It's  up  to  you  now  to  mother  this  goat,  Miss 
Grace,"  he  said  whimsically;  "  I'll  send  a  man  in  to  Tin 
Cup  to-morrow  for  a  gunny  sackful  of  any  pap-maker 
you  nominate.  We've  got  to  assume  the  responsibility 
of  him,  his  mother  having  come  to  grief  on  your  de 
mesne.  When  you  are  ready  to  christen  him  I'll  get 
Red  to  stand  godfather  for  him  —  that  is,  if  you  have 
no  other  preferred  sponsor  in  mind." 

The  girl  looked  up  quickly;  his  tone  seemed  a  bit 
patronizing  and  to  her  mind  altogether  too  familiar. 
It  was  an  opportune  time  to  inaugurate  a  new  order  of 
things  which  all  day  she  had  been  formulating. 

"  I  shall  name  him  now,"  she  said,  icily.  "  He  shall 
be  known  as  Buffo  and  you  are  his  sponsor." 

"  Buffo  —  a  buffoon!"  He  laughed  a  little  con 
strainedly.  "  Well,  I  think  the  name  is  appropriate. 
He  is  a  fool  and  so  was  his  mother  before  him.  Other 
wise  they'd  have  never  ventured  in  where  naught  but 
angels  have  any  license  to  tread." 

She  bit  her  lip  in  chagrin  as  he  lifted  his  sombrero 
and  rode  nonchalantly  away.  The  intended  rebuke  had 
recoiled  upon  her  and  she  was  furious  at  her  impotence. 
Retreating  to  the  kitchen,  she  somewhat  curtly  ordered 
the  cook  —  old  Abigail  Williams,  sister  to  the  post 
master,  who  in  order  to  preserve  the  proprieties  had 
been  engaged  in  that  capacity  —  to  prepare  some 
nourishment  for  her  charge. 

"  We've  got  to  feed  the  thing,"  she  snapped  in  a 


IN  THE  MIDST  OF  ALARUMS          39 

tone  strangely  variant  from  her  endearing  coo  of  a  few 
minutes  before. 

Abbie  nodded  briskly:  "  I'll  fix  up  a  rag  on  a  bottle 
of  new  milk.  I've  raised  'em  before.  We  hed  two  on 
em  oncet  —  Hank  ez  thet  foolish  about  sich  critters." 

"  It'll  make  quite  a  peart  pet,"  went  on  the  garrulous 
old  body.  "  An'  I  s'pose  ye'll  be  fer  givin'  it  sum 
name?  Ourn  was  Belshazzar  an'  Sappho.  Hank  got 
the  buck's  name  outen  a  book  where  it  said  in  slick 
soundin'  poetry  as  how  Belshazzar  was  king  an'  Bel 
shazzar  waz  lord.  Thet  buck  were  sure  the  mos'  up 
pity  critter!  Nuthin'  waz  good  enuf  fer  him  to  'soci- 
ate  with  and  he  herded  by  hisself  mos'ly.  He  waz  allus 
on  thu  prod,  stompin'  aroun'  darin'  thu  other  critters 
to  fite.  He  waz  powerful  or'nary,  that  Belshazzar, 
lordin'  it  over  everybody  an'  allus  huntin'  trouble. 

"  He  waz  mean  to  thu  she-goat  an'  treated  her  scan- 
'lous !  The  more  she  tried  to  be  sociable  an'  nice  the 
more  biggpty  he  got.  She'd  go  up'n  nuzzle  'im  an' 
he'd  back  off  an'  look  at  her  scornful  and  walk  away 
high  an'  mighty-like  on  thu  tips  uv  he's  toes,  jest  like 
he's  walkin'  on  aigs.  He  waz  allus  hurtin'  uv  her  feel- 
in's  but  he  didn't  seem  to  care  none.  An'  thu  poor 
critter  would  tag  after  'im  an'  humor  'im  ontil  she  made 
me  sick!  If  he  got  outen  her  sight  she'd  blat  an'  take 
on  suthin'  drefful,  an'  one  spring  when  he  jumped  thu 
fence  an'  went  out  gallivantin'  with  thu  wild  ones  fer  a 
spell,  she  went  loco  an'  actooly  cried  tears!  That's 
sure  right.  I  seed  'em. 

"  That  was  the  spring  that  Ken  Douglass  hit  this 


4o  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

range.  One  day  when  she  is  actin'  more  foolish  than 
most  he  pats  her  on  thu  back  an'  calls  her  '  Sappho  '  an' 
spouts  a  lot  o'  hifalutin  dago  talk  an'  wipes  her  eyes 
with  his  new  silk  han'kerchief  —  really !  Tenderfeets 
air  cuYous  critters  an'  Ken  acts  loco  a  leetle  hisself 
sumtimes.  He  takes  a  heap  o'  int'rest  in  her  after 
that,  and  fetches  her  apples  n'  things  every  time  he 
goes  to  Tin  Cup.  An'  one  day  I  hears  that  durn  fool 
say  to  Sappho  as  how  he  wishes  he  was  a  goat  so  that 
he  could  teach  her  to  fergit  her  sorrer.  Did  ye  ever 
hear  anythin'  so  plumb  ridic-lous !  Then  one  day  he 
rides  up  to  thu  gate  an'  says :  *  Miss  Abbie  ' —  he  kin 
be  real  polite  when  he  wants  — *  there's  rejoicin'  in 
Lesbos  to-day.  Belshazzar  has  come  back !  '  Then  he 
rides  off  laffin,  an'  I  gits  my  sunbonnit  and  hikes  down 
to  ther  pastur'.  Sure  'nough,  thar's  thet  fool  buck,  an' 
for  the  fust  time  he's  nuzzlin'  her!  An'  thet  Sappho 
she  waz  so  foolish  happy  that  I  wanted  to  shake  her." 

Grace  put  the  kid  down  very  gently  on  the  floor.  "  I 
had  thought  of  a  name  for  him  but  — " 

A  shadow  darkened  the  door.  "  Hello,  Buffo. 
You  getting  your  first  lesson,  too?" 

The  girl  stiffened  instantly.  "  I  shall  call  him  that, 
after  all.  Thank  you,  Mr.  Douglass,  for  strengthen 
ing  my  resolution." 

"  And  as  his  godfather  I,  of  course,  must  be  Mo- 
mus,"  said  Ken,  nothing  abashed,  though  his  eyes  glit 
tered.  And  in  a  not  unpleasant  if  somewhat  strident 
voice,  he  mischievously  sang: 

"  Why  gall  and  wormwood  in  a  throat 
Designed  for  hydromel ! 


IN  THE  MIDST  OF  ALARUMS          41 

Far  better  be  a  Buffo  goat 
And  court  the  booze  bot-tel." 

Her  lips  curled  at  what  she  mistook  for  an  implied 
threat.  With  all  the  hauteur  she  could  summon  to  her 
aid,  she  swept  him  with  her  scorn.  "  Oh !  If  you  feel 
a  really  irresistible  desire  to  get  drunk,"  she  said,  "  that 
is  a  waste  of  talent  far  more  appreciable  by  the  critics 
of  the  Alcazar;  my  brother,  being  unfortunately  absent, 
will  be  desolated  at  missing  this  performance." 

She  regretted  her  temerity  even  before  she  had  fin 
ished.  His  face  seemed  to  age  as  she  looked.  A  man 
putting  such  indignity  upon  him,  at  first  view  of  that 
face,  would  have  hastily  laid  his  hand  on  his  pistol- 
butt;  the  girl  placed  hers  tremblingly  above  her  heart. 

The  man's  self-restraint  was  wonderful.  For  an 
interminable  moment  which  seemed  an  age  to  the  fright 
ened  women  —  for  even  old  Abbie  was  blanched  with 
comprehension  and  stood  with  clasped  hands  and  white 
lips  —  he  was  silent.  Then  in  a  voice  whose  calmness 
made  the  girl  shiver  with  an  undefinable  fear,  he  said : 

"  That  is  twice  to-day,  Miss  Carter,  that  you  have 
been  pleased  to  insult  me.  I  am  most  unfortunate  in 
having  incurred  your  disfavor.  My  intrusion  here  was 
to  acquaint  you  with  the  news  that  your  brother,  ac 
companied  by  your  mother,  will  be  here  to-morrow 
night,  a  rider  having  just  brought  a  telegram  to  that 
effect.  It  will  take  me  but  a  few  minutes  to  gather  my 
effects.  I  will  submit  a  full  account  of  my  stewardship 
to  Mr.  Carter  to-morrow  —  from  Tin  Cup.  It  will 
be  sufficiently  full  and  comprehensive  enough  to  obviate 


42  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

the  necessity  of  any  explanations  on  your  part  Have 
I  your  permission  to  retire?  " 

Unable  to  think  coherently  she  mutely  nodded  assent. 
Hat  in  hand,  he  turned  on  the  threshold.  "  The  per 
formance  will  begin  at  ten,  to-morrow  night,"  he  said. 
"  Abbie,  don't  put  any  wormwood  in  Buffo's  milk. 
It'll  make  him  uppish.'* 

But  the  gods  who  dispose  of  man's  proposals  or 
dained  that  Douglass  was  not  to  leave  the  C  Bar  that 
night.  As  he  swung  out  into  the  moonlight  his  nos 
trils  were  assailed  with  the  pungent  fumes  of  burning 
hay  and  a  man  came  running  toward  him. 

"  The  stacks  have  been  fired  and  the  ditches  cut ! 
Red  saw  one  of  them  and  is  on  his  trail!  "  Afar  in 
the  starlight  a  pistol  snapped  viciously ;  it  was  answered 
by  a  louder  detonation,  succeeded  almost  instantly  by  the 
fainter  whip  of  the  pistol.  Then  after  a  few  seconds' 
interim  came  yet  again  the  fainter  report  and  all  was 
silent. 

"  That's  Red's  .45,"  said  the  man  with  curt  positive- 
ness.  "  T'other  must  have  had  a  Winchester,  and  he 
didn't  fire  but  one  shot.  Red  shot  last."  They  were 
running  full  speed  toward  the  burning  stacks  and  Ken 
chose  to  waste  no  breath  in  speculative  reply.  But  he 
was  seeing  a  different  red  than  that  of  the  flaming  hay 
as  he  recalled  Williams's  warning:  "  Look  out  fer 
Matlock.  He's  a  pizen  skunk  and  he'll  stoop  to  any- 
thin'  ter  play  even."  The  fire  being  incendiary,  ad 
mitted  but  one  deduction,  and  he  was  praying  his  gods 
to  give  this  man  into  his  hands. 

"  'Twan't  Matlock,"  said  Red  tersely,  in  answer  to 


IN  THE  MIDST  OF  ALARUMS          43 

the  interrogation  in  his  comrade's  eyes  as  he  rode  in  to 
where  they  were  standing  helplessly  watching  the  de 
struction  of  what  was  fortunately  the  smallest  stack  on 
the  ranch,  Ken's  masterly  directions  executed  by  will 
ing  hands  having  extinguished  the  others.  "  'Twer 
that  mizzuble  Mexican  side-kicker  o'  hisn,  an'  the 
damned  varmint  nearly  got  me.  Shot  his  hoss  an'  he 
come  back  with  his  rifle.  Got  him  second  shot." 

"  Yeh  fired  three,"  said  the  man  who  had  summoned 
Douglass,  tentatively. 

Red  took  a  chew  of  tobacco.  "  Yep.  Only  winged 
him  an'  he  possumed  on  me.  Stuck  his  knife  inter  me 
but  she  glanced  on  a  rib.  He's  daid  now."  His  voice 
was  unemotional  but  his  face  was  white.  Douglass, 
watching  him  sharply,  laid  his  hand  on  the  other's 
glove. 

"  Better  get  up  to  the  shack,  Red,"  he  said  quietly, 
"  You've  lost  a  lot  of  juice." 

The  man  smiled  wanly,  reeled  in  his  saddle,  and 
clutching  fruitlessly  at  the  horn,  slipped  limply  down 
into  Douglass's  supporting  arms.  Subsequent  exam 
ination  revealed  that  he  had  also  been  wounded  by  the 
Mexican's  rifle  shot.  There  was  a  ragged  hole  through 
the  fleshy  part  of  his  thigh  and  hemorrhage  had  been 
profuse.  Declining  all  offers  of  assistance,  Douglass 
carried  him  to  the  bunkhouse  and  laid  him  on  the 
rough  bed.  Looking  at  the  white  face  of  the  fellow 
before  him,  his  mouth  resolved  itself  into  a  thin  cruel 
line. 

"  By  God,  Matlock,  you  will  pay  in  full  for  this!  " 
He  had  unconsciously  sworn  it  aloud  and  the  men 


44  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

gathered  around  the  bed  of  their  stricken  comrade  knew 
that  supreme  sentence  had  been  passed.  They  made 
no  comment,  but  as  Douglass,  rolling  up  his  sleeves, 
bent  to  the  clumsy  but  efficient  surgery  that  was  to  save 
Red's  life,  one  of  them  nudged  his  neighbor  and  said 
inconsequentially,  u  Red  weighs  good  two  hunnerd!" 
And  he  looked  admiringly  at  the  ripples  playing  silkily 
under  the  bronze  satin  of  his  foreman's  arms. 

But  far  out  on  the  prairie,  riding  in  headlong  guilty 
haste  from  the  Nemesis  that  his  craven  heart  dreaded 
as  even  his  cowardice  had  never  dreaded  anything  be 
fore,  Matlock  shivered  telepathically  and  turned  in  his 
saddle.  A  startled  night-fowl  fluttered  uncannily  over 
his  head  and  he  crouched  almost  to  his  saddle-bow  with 
terror.  The  flutter  of  AzraeFs  wings  seemed  very 
close ! 

An  hour  later,  as  Douglass  emerged  from  the  bunk- 
house,  old  Abigail  hesitatingly  accosted  him.  "  Yuah 
to  come  up  to  thu  house,  Ken,  right  way!  Now  don' 
yuh  be  foolish,  boy ;  remember  she's  only  a  gel  —  an' 
young  at  that !  " 

He  patted  the  wrinkled  hand  laid  on  his  arm  but 
shook  his  head  in  grim  negation.  "  It  isn't  necessary, 
Abbie;  you  tell  Miss  Carter  that  it  will  all  be  in  the 
report  to-morrow !  "  And  he  gently  but  firmly  put 
aside  her  restraining  hand. 

But  the  old  woman  was  wise  in  her  generation. 
"  Look  heah,  Ken  Douglass,"  she  indignantly  stormed; 
u  don't  yuh  try  no  hifalutin  with  me.  I  ain't  goin'  to 
be  stood  off  with  no  such  a  bluff  ez  that !  Who  missed 


IN  THE  MIDST  OF  ALARUMS          45 

yuh  when  yuh  got  shot  up  by  this  yeah  very  mlzzuble 
outfit  las'  summeh  ?  Yuh  come  along  o'  me  without  no 
moah  talk.  An'  when  yuh  git  theah  yuh  go  down  on 
yuh  stubboahn  knees  to  that  little  angel  an'  promise 
thet  yuh'll  be  good." 

He  laughed  quizzically.  "  Is  that  one  of  the  condi 
tions  she  imposes  —  that  getting  down  on  my  knees  ? 
I'm  out  of  practice  a  little  and  my  knees  are  all  blacked 
up  from  that  fire.  I'm  afraid  I'd  soil  that  immaculate 
carpet  of  hers." 

'  Yuh  hev  soiled  a  heap  moah  than  her  cyapet  al 
ready,"  said  the  old  woman  significantly,  "  an'  yuh 
mind's  been  blacker  than  yuh  knees.  Did  yuh  think  she 
was  one  o'  them  dance-hall  huzzies  yuh've  been  herdin' 
with  all  yuh  mean  life?  An'  up  tha'  she  sits  cryin' — " 

"  Crying !  "  said  the  man  sharply,  and  without  an 
other  word  he  strode  after  the  doddering  old  woman, 
who  had  knowingly  turned  even  as  she  spoke. 

As  he  entered  the  living-room  the  girl  rose  with  an 
involuntary  cry.  His  hair,  eyebrows  and  mustache  had 
been  badly  singed,  his  face  was  smoke-grimed  and  dirty, 
great  holes  had  been  burned  in  the  thin  shirt,  the  flesh 
showing  angrily  red  through  the  rents.  He  was  in 
sharp  contrast  with  her  own  white  daintiness  as  he  stood 
there  grim  and  forbidding,  but  she  thought  she  had 
never  looked  upon  a  manlier  man. 

"  I  inferred  from  what  Abbie  said  that  you  wished 
to  see  me?"  The  tone  was  cool  and  even  but  respect 
ful. 

"Yes  —  I  wished  —  I  thought — "  she  faltered  in- 


46  THE  SONG  OF  THE  W.OLE 

coherently,  looking  appealingly  at  him.  But  he  only 
waited  impassively,  and  the  girl  nervously  clasped  her 
hands. 

"Tongue  burned  too?"  snapped  Abigail,  with 
withering  sarcasm,  glowering  wrathfully  at  him;  the 
girl  went  up  to  him  quickly,  her  eyes  luminous  with 
compassion. 

"  Oh  1  You  arc  injured  —  you  are  suffering  —  I  did 
not  know — " 

"  It  is  nothing  —  merely  a  few  slight  scorches. 
Pray  do  not  be  concerned  about  it.  And  I  am  glad  to 
assure  you  that  McVey  will  recover.  The  bullet — " 
At  the  white  terror  which  crept  into  the  girl's  face  he 
stopped  abruptly,  clipping  the  words  between  his  teeth 
and  cursing  his  inadvertence. 

"The  bullet — McVey  —  I  do  not  understand," 
she  was  wild-eyed  now  with  fear  and  her  voice  was 
very  faint.  Old  Abigail  with  an  incredibly  quick  move 
ment  caught  her  around  the  waist. 

"  Sit  down,  honey,  and  we'll  tell  you  about  it. 
There !  Thet's  a  dear.  Matlock  an'  one  uv  his  crit 
ters  fired  the  haystacks  an'  cut  the  ditches  so's  Ken 
wouldn't  hev  no  water  to  save  'em  with.  An'  Red  he 
see  one  uv  'em  ridin'  off  an'  runs  him  down  an'  shoots 
him  up  right !  But  the  ornary  cuss  shoots  back  an'  Red 
gets  it  in  ther  laig  an'  thet's  all  they  is  to  it.  Don't 
yuh  worrit  none;  we  only  lost  thu  leetlest  stack  o'  ther 
bunch." 

"  And  the  other  —  the  one  who  ran  away?"  asked 
the  girl  with  quick  concern. 

Abigail's  lips  curved  in  a  grim  smile,  "  Red  shot 
three  times.  Once  at  the  hoss." 


CHAPTER    V 
"HER  HEART  WON'T  BE  BROKE  NONE" 

TRUE  to  her  intuition,  he  came  to  her,  lying  in  the 
hammock  waiting  his  coming  the  next  morning. 

"  I  am  afraid,"  he  began  apologetically,  "  that  I  will 
have  to  postpone  my  departure  for  some  time,  after  all. 
It  is  imperative  that  the  ditches  be  repaired,  the  crops 
needing  immediate  irrigation,  and  McVey's  indisposi 
tion  leaves  us  very  short-handed.  Besides,  I  am  per 
sonally  responsible  for  all  these  mishaps  and  must  make 
them  good." 

His  speech  was  almost  contrite  in  its  humility  and  his 
manner  had  lost  much  of  its  assurance.  It  was  a  mo 
ment  fraught  with  possibilities  and  she  was  fully  aware 
that  the  smallest  concession  on  her  part  would  pave  the 
way  to  reconciliation.  But  she  did  not  know  of  the 
bitter  travail  in  which  he  had  labored  the  livelong 
night,  and  the  significance  of  his  closing  words  evaded 
her  understanding. 

Attributing  all  the  foregone  evils  to  Matlock's  per 
sonal  hatred  of  him,  and  deeming  himself  therefore 
solely  responsible  for  the  damage  inflicted  by  that 
worthy,  he  had  quixotically  resolved  to  remain  in  Car 
ter's  employ  until  his  salary  had  accumulated  to  an 
amount  sufficient  to  recoup  the  latter  for  all  the  loss 

47 


48  THE  SONG  OE  THE  WOLF 

sustained.  That  end  attained,  he  would  find  Matlock 
—  the  rest  was  simple. 

Nothing  of  this  she  knew,  and  yet  she  was  conscious 
of  a  great  impellment  to  be  kind  to  this  man.  She 
had  half  arisen  with  a  gracious  word  of  thanks  for  his 
herculean  labors  in  the  behalf  of  her  brother  on  her 
lips,  when,  by  some  fatality,  the  morning  wrap  she  was 
wearing  dropped  from  her  shoulders.  It  was  unfortu 
nate  that  his  eyes  fell  on  the  instant.  When  he  again 
raised  them  she  had  caught  up  the  garment  and  with 
a  care  so  exaggerated  that  it  sent  the  blood  to  his  face, 
was  haughtily  fastening  it  about  her  throat.  Her  in 
tent  was  unmistakable  and  he  hardened  like  adamant. 
All  too  late  she  repented;  that  one  second  of  perversity 
had  undone  a  whole  night's  chastening  and  his  voice 
was  as  cold  as  ice  when  he  resumed : 

"  I  will  therefore  be  unable  to  meet  your  brother  on 
his  arrival.  You  can  say  to  him  that  he  will  lose  noth 
ing  by  last  night's  work.  I  am  going  out  to  the  ditch 
now  and  will  not  return  until  it  has  been  fully  restored." 
Then  with  an  almost  imperceptible  inclination  of  his 
head,  he  left  her  without  another  look. 

Turning  uneasily  in  the  hammock,  she  discovered  for 
the  first  time  that  the  entrance  to  the  bunkhouse  was 
visible  through  the  interstices  of  the  wistaria.  The 
door  was  open  to  admit  the  solace  of  the  balmy  air  to 
the  wounded  man,  whose  pale  face  with  its  closed  eyes 
was  plainly  discernible  in  the  semi-gloom  of  the  dark 
ened  room.  Shuddering  slightly,  she  put  her  hands  be 
fore  her  eyes,  lowering  them  at  the  very  moment  that 


"  HER  HEART  WON'T  BE  BROKE  "     49 

Douglass,  belted  and  spurred,  led  his  saddled  horse  up 
to  the  door. 

She  watched  him  enter,  noting  that  he  removed  his 
sombrero  on  crossing  the  threshold.  His  every  move 
ment  betokened  care  and  caution,  indicating  his  solici 
tude  not  to  awaken  the  sleeper.  Unconsciously  she 
admired  the  sinuous,  almost  feline  grace  of  the  fellow 
who  stood  for  quite  a  time  looking  down  on  his  stricken 
comrade.  Then  she  was  startled  to  see  him  turn  and 
raise  his  clenched  fist  in  the  air,  his  lips  moving  convul 
sively,  and  she  shrank  from  what  was  written  on  his 
face  when  he  again  came  softly  out  and  mounted  his 
horse.  Ten  minutes  later  she  watched  a  cloud  of  dust 
blotting  the  horizon  on  the  crest  of  the  little  rise  to 
the  north.  When  it  had  again  settled,  she  went  into 
her  room  and  came  out  with  a  pair  of  shears  in  her 
hand. 

McVey,  jaded  and  wan  from  the  manipulations  of 
the  surgeon  who  had  come  down  overnight  from  Tin 
Cup,  waked  to  find  an  exquisite  bouquet  of  freshly  cut 
flowers  in  a  quaint  Japanese  vase  on  the  little  stand 
beside  his  bed.  He  had  seen  that  vase  before  on  the 
window-sill  of  Miss  Carter's  room  and  he  blinked  in 
credulously  at  it.  His  wonder  was  only  exceeded  by 
his  embarrassment  when,  a  few  minutes  later,  that  lady 
herself  in  person  entered  the  room,  followed  by  Abigail, 
who  bore  a  platter  of  daintily  prepared  food. 

"  It's  might  good  o'  yuh,  ma'am,  too  good !  "  he 
assured  her  in  clumsy  gratefulness,  as  she  rearranged1 
his  pillows  after  the  refection.  "  But  yuh  shouldn't  go 


50  THE  SONG  OF.  THE  WOLF 

to  so  much  trouble;  I'd  rest  a  heap  easier  in  my  mind  if 
I  knowed  you  wasn't  puttin'  yuhself  out  none.  But,'* 
reminiscently,  "  that  chicken  soup  were  shore  fine !  " 

"  You  shall  have  some  every  day  until  you  are  well," 
she  beamed  on  him  from  the  doorway. 

He  thanked  her  with  a  gravity  whose  solemnity  of 
effect  was  somewhat  offset  by  his  next  utterance. 
"  Say,  Miss  Williams,"  he  said  seriously  in  a  stage 
aside,  "  when  yuh  cal'late  I  am  well  enough  to  stand 
it,  yuh  go  out  an'  git  some  other  Greaser  to  come  up 
here  and  shoot  me  some  more !  " 

"  Yuh  shet  yuah  trap,  Red  McVey,"  snapped  the 
vestal  addressed  reprovingly,  "  an'  rest  yuah  pore  weak 
brain.  Ain't  yuh  made  trouble  enough  already,  gettin' 
yuhself  shot  up  right  here  in  thu  thick  o'  thu  hayin'  an' 
Ken  short-handed  as  it  was?  What  onaccountable 
idjits  men  is  anyway!  Now  yuh  be  good  fer  a  spell  1  " 

She  flounced  out  with  assumed  asperity,  halting  at 
the  threshold  for  a  last  admonishing  look.  The  big 
fellow,  his  head  hung  in  abashment,  looked  up  plead 
ingly. 

"  Kiss  me,  mommer,  an'  I'll  go  to  sleep !  " 

Routed  horse,  foot  and  dragoons,  Abigail  fled  in  con 
fusion,  and  Red  grinned  in  self-complacency  as  Miss 
Carter's  silvery  laugh  tinkled  in  diminishing  crescendo. 
Then  he  turned  his  face  to  the  wall  and  really  fell 
asleep. 

"  Beats  all,"  confided  Abigail  that  afternoon,  to 
Grace,  watching  her  deft  manipulation  of  the  dinner's 
pie  crust,  "  what  misonderstandable  fools  these  men 
critters  be.  Thar's  thet  Ken  Douglas  o'  yourn," — 


"HER  HEART  WON'T  BE  BROKE"     51 

watching  slyly  out  of  the  corner  of  her  eye  the  flushing 
face  and  compressing  lips  of  her  auditor  — u  now  'tain't 
sca'cely  six  months  since  he  was  sky-hootin'  around  yeah, 
wishful  o'  killin'  every  blessed  cowpuncha  in  this  out 
fit;  an'  now  they  ain't  ary  one  o'  the  pin-headed  dogies 
that  ain't  a  beggin'  to  be  allowed  to  do  his  killin1  fer 
him  1  He  had  quite  a  time  makin'  'em  promise  not  ter 
cut  in  on  Matlock,  las'  night.  I  hear  'm  jawbonin' 
about  it  oveh  to  thu  shack.  But  they  finally  allows  he's 
Ken's  meat  an'  'grees  ter  keep  ban's  off.  I'd  feel  some 
sorry  fer  that  Matlock  ef  he  wa'nt  sech  a  pizen  skunk. 
I  r'ally  do  wisht  he  was  moah  of  a  man!  Ken's  too 
clean  a  boy  to  hev  ter  stomp  out  sech  a  snake." 

Miss  Carter  was  not  a  woman  of  iron  nerve  and  this 
dispassionate  talk  of  killing  affected  her  visibly.  As 
the  old  woman  proceeded  with  her  disquieting  recital, 
her  face  blanched,  but  with  a  great  effort  at  self-control 
she  held  her  peace;  this  was  evidently  the  hour  of  reve 
lations  —  and  she  had  to  know  1 

"  But  he  has  it  ter  do  —  he  suah  has !  An'  I  wisht 
'twas  oveh.  I  doan  reckon  Matlock  will  ketch  him 
nappin' —  Ken's  eye  tooths  is  cut  —  but  yuh  nevah  kin 
tell !  "  She  sighed  lugubriously  and  the  girl's  blood 
ran  cold  in  her  veins.  "  Thar's  allus  a  chanct  —  an' 
Ken  is  a  heap  keerless  at  times.  I  hope  he  gits  him 
soon !  " 

"  But  why?  "  said  Grace  unevenly,  making  a  heroic 
struggle  to  retain  the  composure  that  was  fast  deserting 
her.  "  You  talk  as  if  he  were  compelled  to  kill  this 


man." 


"Well,  hain't  he?"  replied  Abbie,  with  naive  sur- 


52  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

prise  in  her  voice,  as  she  stopped  pinching  the  edges  of 
a  pie  and  looked  up  in  astonishment.  "  Hain't  Mat- 
lock  declar'd  hisself  ?  Hain't  he  bragged  as  how  he'd 
cut  thu  heart  out  o'  Ken  an'  show  it  ter  him  ?  Didn't 
he  crawfish  like  a  cowardly  coyote  when  Ken  called  his 
bluff  in  thu  Alcazar,  an'  then  came  sneakin'  around  yeah 
in  thu  night  an'  buhn  yuh  haystacks?  Why,  what 
moah  d'yuh  want  him  to  do  ?  "  The  indignation  in  her 
voice  was  genuine. 

"  But  why  —  I  cannot  understand  — "  began  the 
girl  confusedly,  "  why  is  it  necessary  for  Mr.  Douglass 
to  personally  undertake  the  punishment  of  this  wretch? 
Have  you  no  laws  that  can  be  invoked  to  punish  the 
one  and  protect  the  other?  " 

"  Laws  I  "  snorted  the  old  woman  contemptuously, 
"  what  good  would  all  the  laws  be  to  Ken  arter  Matlock 
had  him  pumped  full  o'  lead?  Thar's  only  one  law 
fer  rattlesnakes  on  ther  range,  honey  —  kill  'em  befoah 
they  gits  a  chanct  ter  strike !  "  The  leathery  old  face 
twitched  venomously  and  she  slashed  the  pie  top  with 
suggestive  vigor. 

"  But  that  would  be  murder!  "  gasped  the  girl,  her 
face  gray  with  horror. 

"  Murder,  huh !  An'  what  would  it  be  if  Matlock 
has  his  way  ?  Didn't  he  kill  thet  sheepherd  —  who 
whopped  him  fair  an'  squar' — in  cold  blood?  Didn't 
he  jest  nat'rally  butcher  thet  pore  Dutch  boy  arter  fust 
cripplin'  o'  his  gun  on  ther  sly,  ther  tre'cherous  haound ! 
Murder  —  !" 

Her  gray  crest  was  erect  and  she  was  breathing  au 
dibly  through  passion-pinched  nostrils.  She  put  her 


"  HER  HEART  WON'T  BE  BROKE  "     53 

hand  kindly  on  the  girl's  shoulder.  "  Hit's  got  ter 
be  one  or  t'other  on  'em,  honey.  They  hain't  no  other 
way.  An'  out  yeah  whar  wimmin  'n  children  air  left 
alone  a  heap  at  times  hit's  every  good  man's  duty  ter 
pertect  his  own.  Did  yuh  heah  what  happened  ter  thet 
sheepman's  wife  thet  night  arter  they  killed  her  man? 

"  Hit  war  one  man  done  hit  arter  the  rest  was  gone. 
He  was  masked,  o'  cose,  but  all  thu  rest  o'  yuh  outfit 
was  at  thu  Alcazar  —  Matlock  with  'em  —  so's  ter 
prove  a  alleyby.  Thu  one  that  were  shy  was  thu  feller 
they  found  on  Hoss  Creek  a  week  later  with  nine  buck 
shot  in  his  rotten  heart."  And  then  she  avoided  the 
girl's  eyes  as  she  whispered  something  that  brought 
Grace  to  her  feet  screaming  with  horror. 

"  Naow  I  ain't  sayin',"  she  went  on  slowly,  "  thet 
Matlock  is  as  low  as  thet.  T'other  was  a  half-breed 
'n  some  say  a  convick.  But  thar's  no  room  fer  him  on 
this  range  naow,  an'  he  knows  it.  An'  that  kind  o' 
man  allus  goes  bad.  He's  got  it  in  specul  fer  Ken,  an' 
hit's  suah  one  er  t'other  on  'em."  And  then  she  shot 
her  last  bolt  mercilessly: 

"  Would  yuh  ruther  he  killed  Ken?  " 

Outside  somewhere  a  raven,  scavengering  indolently 
about  the  corrals,  croaked  gutturally;  never  again  as 
long  as  she  lived  would  Grace  Carter  hear  without  shud 
dering  the  uncanny  dissonance  of  that  foul  bird.  In  the 
silence  of  that  suddenly  oppressive  room  the  ticking  of 
the  little  cheap  alarm  clock  on  the  mantel  beat  upon  her 
brain  like  the  strokes  of  a  drum,  seeming  to  her  dis 
ordered  mind  to  say  "  Kill-Ken !  —  Kill-Ken  I  " 

She   passed   her   hand   numbly   over  her    forehead, 


54  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

mechanically  adjusting  a  stray  wisp  of  hair.  She  was 
dimly  conscious  of  an  agony  of  compunction  on  the 
wrinkled  face  before  her,  but  it  excited  in  her  only  a  dull 
wonder.  Why  was  Abbie  looking  so  strangely  at  her  ? 
If  only  that  tiresome  clock  would  cease  its  muttering! 
What  was  this  strange  thing  now  happening  to  her,  this 
slipping  away  of  a  part  of  herself,  this  new  and  per 
turbing  sense  of  sudden  oldness  and  wisdom  and  —  and 
heart-wrenching  fear !  For  a  moment  she  plucked  pet 
ulantly  at  the  velvet  band  about  her  throat;  the  room 
seemed  reeling  about  her  and  she  swayed  unsteadily  on 
her  feet. 

With  a  cry  of  keen  self-reproach,  Abigail  threw  her 
arm  around  the  tottering  girl  and  bore  her  into  the 
darkened  bedroom.  When  she  emerged  later  it  was 
with  a  sorely  troubled  mien. 

"  I'm  not  quite  settled  in  my  mind  thet  I've  done  ther 
right  thing  in  tellin'  her  so  suddenly.  Still,  since  he's 
goin'  ter  do  it  she  hed  best  be  prepared.  Pore  lamb ! 
Why  didn't  Ken  finish  ther  job  in  thu  fust  place  and  be 
done  with  it!  Now  it'll  come  between  'em  an'  like  as 
not  she  won't  hav'  him  on  account  of  it.  Ther  Lawd 
do  move  in  myster'ous  ways  fer  a  fac' !  An'  they  do 
say  thet  ther  trail  o'  troo  love  is  rough  an'  crooked. 
An'  them  sech  a  well-matched  span,  too !  " 

Abigail  had  evidently  jumped  to  conclusions  of  her 
own,  in  her  range-born  simplicity  overlooking  the  ob 
vious  disparity  that  a  more  captious  conventionality 
would  have  interposed  between  the  respective  social 
planes  of  a  society  blossom  and  a  "  wild  and  woolly  " 
cowpuncher.  And  if  she  had  drawn  any  comparisons 


"HER  HEART  WONT  BE  BROKE  "     55 

they  would  have  been  indubitably  in  favor  of  the  latter. 
For  in  her  environment  she  had  acquired  the  faculty  of 
properly  estimating  the  worth  of  a  real  man.  And 
then,  again,  Abigail  was  a  woman,  and  there  is  a  proverb 
about  the  contempt  of  familiarity. 

"  I  reckon  'twer  ther  heat,"  she  opined  barefacedly 
when  the  young  woman,  a  girl  no  longer  since  the  tick 
ing  of  that  clock,  expressed  her  inability  to  account  for 
her  sudden  indisposition.  "  I  heve  nevah  fainted  mah- 
self ;  reckon  I  wouldn't  know  how,"  with  a  grim  attempt 
at  jocularity.  "  Nevah  had  the  time,  anyhow.  Yuh 
feelin'  peart  again,  honey?  " 

Grace  assented  languidly.  The  antelope  kid,  fed  to 
repletion,  was  blinking  at  her  from  his  blanket  nest  in 
the  corner.  As  she  spoke  he  arose  and  wabbled  over  to 
her  side,  laying  his  cool,  moist  muzzle  against  her 
hand. 

"  Jest  look  at  thet,  now !  "  said  Abbie  delightedly. 
"Thu  leetle  cuss  wants  ter  be  petted  an1  coddled. 
Well,  he's  like  all  other  he-critters,  got  ter  be  humored 
an'  made  much  of,  whether  they  desarve  it  or  not.  An' 
I  guess,"  with  shrewd  philosophy  and  a  certain  delib 
erate  emphasis,  u  thet's  what  we  poor  she-males  was 
mos'ly  created  for.  Take  Hank,  now.  He's  a  reg'lar 
baby  about  sech  things  —  an'  whines  like  a  sick  pup  ef 
he's  overlooked  in  the  slightest.  Thar  now,  you  Buffo ! 
—  lawks  a.  mussy,  dearie,  he's  got  yuh  hand  all  slob 
bered  up  —  you  hont  yuah  hole !  It  don't  do  to  giv' 
'em  too  much  rope.  Ef  yuh  do  they's  suah  ter  run  on 
it  an'  thar's  trouble  all  raound.  Feed  'em  well,  speak 
'em  kind,  an'  give  'em  theah  haids  on  a  hahd  pull  er 


56  THE  SONG  OF.  THE  WOLF 

in  a  tight  place,  an'  they  gentle  quick  an'  easy  an'  come 
up  pullin'  arter  every  fall.  But  doan  yuh  never  go  to 
crowdin'  of  'em  onreasonable  at  thu  wrong  time  er 
they'll  balk  an'  lay  down,  er  kick  over  thu  dash-boahd 
an'  run  away,  accordin'  to  thu  natuah  o'  thu  brute.  Yuh 
kin  keep  'em  up  on  thu  bit  when  thu  goin's  good,  but 
doan  spur  'em  when  they's  excited  'n  feelin'  they  cawn ! 
u  Thu  mos'  on  'ems  ondependable  at  times:  some  on 
'ems  loco  all  thu  time  —  thet  kind  espeshully  "  pointing 
toward  the  bunkhouse  from  which  was  issuing  the  tinkle 
of  a  guitar  to  the  accompaniment  of  a  stentorian  wail: 

"Haow  d-r-r-y  I  am!     Haow  d-r-r-y  I  am! 
Gawd  o-h-h-nly  knows  haow-w-w  dry  I  am !  " 

"  Yuah  takin'  thet  tuhn  quite  upsot  me,  and  I  done 
quite  forgot  thet  no  'count  Red.  Heah  him  yowl ! 
Long  ways  from  daid  yet,  'pears  to  me !  " 

Nevertheless,  the  cool  hand  laid  on  his  hot  brow  was 
invested  with  a  motherly  tenderness,  and  the  chiding 
voice  was  gentle  and  kind. 

"  Yuh  better  go  and  lay  in  yuah  hammock,  dearie," 
she  suggested  to  Grace,  "  an'  rest  up  a  bit;  I  got  a  lot 
o'  tidyin'  up  to  do  yeah."  The  room  was  already  pain 
fully  clean  and  the  man  on  the  bed  knit  his  brows  quiz 
zically. 

"  I  do  want  my  hair  curled  'n'  my  mustache  waxed 
'n'  some  ody-kolone  on  my  hank-chy,"  he  murmured 
plaintively.  "  I  shore  do !  " 

Abigail  glared  at  him,  but  Grace,  with  a  final  pat  to 
the  pillows,  smiled  indulgently.  "  Get  well  quickly; 
we  need  you  too  much;  and  it  must  be  dreadful  to  have 


"  HER  HEART  WON'T  BE  BROKE  "     57 

to  stay  indoors  in  this  weather."  Then  she  went  out 
rather  abstractedly,  McVey's  eyes  following  her  with 
the  wistfulness  of  a  dog's.  Abbie,  watching  him, 
smiled  satirically. 

"Red,  too!"  she  ejaculated  mentally;  "well,  why 
not?  He's  a  whole  lot  of  a  man,  hisself,  an'  cats  kin 
look  at  queens  ef  they  likes.  An'  queens  hev  a  lot  o' 
things  ter  be  done  fer  'em  thet  only  men  kin  do.  I 
wonder  now  — !  " 

She  looked  at  him  speculatively,  her  lips  tightening 
with  a  sudden  determination.  The  cowboy  grinned 
with  quick  prescience. 

"  Spit  it  out,  Abbie.     I  caint  help  myself." 

"  Red,"  she  said  quietly  without  an  attempt  at 
preamble,  "  will  yuh  kill  Matlock  fer  me?  " 

He  stared  his  astonishment  undisguisedly.  There 
was  absolutely  no  doubt  as  to  the  seriousness  of  her 
question;  the  grim  set  of  her  jaws,  the  anxiety  in  her 
eyes  and  general  tenseness  of  muscle  throughout  the 
whole  lean  body  betokened  that. 

In  this  man's  life  surprises  were  not  infrequent  and 
now  as  ever  he  displayed  only  the  nonchalance  charac 
teristic  of  all  typical  frontiersmen  in  moments  of  crisis. 
Something  in  her  manner  and  attitude  repressed  the 
almost  irresistible  desire  to  answer  her  humorously,  and 
his  reply  was  grave  to  solemnity. 

"  Yuh  see,  Miss  Abbie,  we-all  promised  Ken  thet  we 
wouldn't  cut  in  on  thet  deal.  But  I'd  jest  love  to  oblige 
yuh,  an'  if  yuh  can  square  me  with  the  old  man  I'll  take 
Matlock's  trail  soon  as  I  can  straddle  m'  hoss  agin. 
Yuh  see,  Ken's  kinder  got  hes  heart  sot  on  doin'  thet 


58  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

leetle  stunt  hisself,  an'  he's  apt  to  r'ar  up  an'  sweat 
under  thu  collar  when  anybody  musses  with  hes  things. 
,Yuh  onderstand  how  'tis — " 

She  withered  him  with  a  measureless  scorn :  "  Yes, 
I  onderstan'.  Yuah  afraid  o'  Matlock!  "  She  turned 
to  go.  "  An'  I  thought  this  was  a  man!  " 

"  Stop  a  minnit,  Miss  Willi'ms !  "  The  words  were 
scarcely  audible  but  she  wheeled  instanter.  He  had 
not  moved  a  muscle  so  far  as  she  could  detect  but  she 
felt  as  though  she  had  been  clutched  in  a  grasp  of  steel 
and  whirled  on  a  pivot.  But  the  erstwhile  pallid  face 
was  now  justifying  his  nickname  and  his  eyes  were  black 
with  menace.  "  Thet's  not  eggsactly  squar'  now,  is 
it?"  His  voice  was  almost  pleading,  the  trembling 
hands  alone  betrayed  the  strain  he  was  laboring  under. 

Mountain  born  and  range  bred,  Abigail  Williams 
was  a  woman  of  undaunted  courage,  but  even  her  in 
vincible  spirit  recoiled  momentarily  from  the  task  she 
set  herself.  It  was  like  plowing  in  a  powder  magazine 
with  a  red-hot  share,  but  she  was  only  concerned  with 
the  end  in  view  and,  deliberately  considering  the  risk, 
employed  the  only  means  at  hand. 

"  Squar'  er  raound,"  she  said  incisively,  "  it's  thu 
mizzable  truth.  Ef  it  wa'nt,  yuh  would  take  thu  job 
often  Ken's  han's  an'  keep  my  lamb's  heart  from  break- 


in' 


She  could  hear  the  beating  of  his  heart  in  the  abso 
lute  quiet  that  followed  her  audacious  words.  When 
she  dared  to  raise  her  eyes  he  was  very  pale  and  wan 
but  he  met  her  pitying  glance  with  a  brave  smile  al 
though  his  lips  were  twitching. 


"HER  HEART  WONT  BE  BROKE"     59 

"  I  reckon  that  I've  been  a  bit  thick-haided,"  he  said 
simply.  "  I  ought  have  knowed  thet  you  wa'nt  the 
kind  o'  woman  to  take  no  sech  mean  advantage  of  a 
feller.  Yuh'll  excuse  me,  Miss  Abbie!  ,Yuh  see,  I 
didn't  savvy  the  how  o'  things." 

Abbie,  torn  with  remorse  and  pity,  was  all  woman 
again.  In  the  reaction  she  wished  she  had  left  her 
words  unsaid  and  impulsively  went  over  and  laid  her 
hand  on  his.  The  cowboy  covered  it  with  his  other 
bronzed  paw  and  for  a  long  time  neither  spoke.  It 
was  McVey  who  broke  the  silence. 

"  I'll  kill  him,  o'  cose.  Reckon  it'll  cost  me  me'  job 
—  an'  then  some !  It's  goin'  to  be  mahnst'ous  hard  to 
make  Ken  see  it  thu  right  way  an'  he'll  be  some  ram- 
bunctuous  about  it.  He's  awful  sot  in  hes  ways  an' 
it's  goin'  to  be  hard  to  explain.  I'd  shore  hate  to  have 
some  one  play  me  thet  trick,  I  suttinly  would !  " 

The  woman  was  crying  now  and  as  the  weak  drawl 
ended  she  grew  hysterical.  "  Oh !  Gawd,  what  hev  I 
done?"  she- moaned  under  her  breath;  then  she  fran 
tically  implored  him  to  forget  what  she  had  said,  insist 
ing  that  it  was  all  a  joke,  that  she  was  merely  "  tryin' 
to  pay  him  back  fer  his  imperence  "  the  night  before. 
But  Red  smiled  his  entire  conviction. 

"  Miss  Abbie,  don't  yuh  do  it  no  moah,  don't  yuh, 
now!  It  shore  ain't  yuah  strong  suit,  yuh  giv'  yuah 
han'  away.  Lyin's  man's  work,  an'  a  powerful  bad 
business  it  is,  too!  Gawd  nevah  intended  a  woman's 
lips  to  be  dirtied  that  away." 

"  An'  besides,  it's  too  late,"  he  went  on  dispassion 
ately.  "  Yuh've  made  many  things  plain  to  me  that  I 


60  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

was  too  locoed  to  see  before.  But  tell  me  straight,  is 
that  true  about  her'n  Ken?  " 

She  nodded  mutely,  not  daring  to  meet  his  eyes. 

He  looked  long  into  the  starlit  sky,  and  Abbie,  em 
boldened  after  a  time  by  his  seeming  composure,  rose 
and  bade  him  good  night.  He  reached  out  for  the  cig 
arette  materials  laid  convenient  to  his  hand. 

"  Guess  I'll  make  a  terbacco  smoke."  Abbie  struck 
a  match  and  he  luxuriously  filled  his  capacious  lungs. 
Then  slowly  exhaling  the  pungent  wreath  he  flicked 
the  ash  from  the  cigarette  tip  and  tentatively  extended 
his  sinewy  arm.  It  was  as  devoid  of  tremor  as  that  of 
a  bronze  statue  and  he  nodded  his  satisfaction. 

"  Her  heart  won't  be  broke  none." 

His  voice  was  very  calm  and  even. 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE  MAN  AND  THE  WOMAN 

AT  the  junction  of  Horse  and  Squaw  creeks,  some 
seven  miles  from  where  Grace  Carter  was  lying  in  her 
hammock  awaiting  the  arrival  of  her  brother  and 
mother,  Ken  Douglass  outspanned  his  weary  scraper 
team  and  called  his  day's  work  done.  The  damage 
had  been  of  even  greater  magnitude  than  he  had  feared 
and  his  most  sanguine  estimate  placed  the  time  required 
for  complete  repairs  at  three  more  days. 

He  had  impressed  every  available  man  and  team  into 
the  service,  leaving  only  one  young  fellow  at  the  ranch 
to  do  the  choring  inseparable  to  a  holding  like  the  C 
Bar.  Having  outlined  his  plans  and  assigned  to  each 
man  his  specific  duty,  he  had  personally  plunged  into  the 
thick  of  the  work,  driving  his  men  only  a  trifle  less  stren 
uously  than  he  did  himself.  In  consequence  whereof 
it  was  a  sore-muscled  crowd  that  ruefully  rubbed  their 
aching  backs  about  the  camp-fire  that  night,  quaintly 
profane  after  the  manner  of  their  kind. 

"  Gawd !  But  you  make  a  bum  driver,  Punk,"  said 
one  of  them  dispassionately  to  a  short,  squat  fellow  who 
was  anointing  his  blistered  hands  with  bacon  drippings. 
"  Yuh  pushed  so  hawd  on  thu  lines  that  yuh  raised 
cawns  on  that  claybank's  gooms.  Was  yuh  thinkin' 
yuh  was  polin  dogies  oveh  to  Glenwood  again  ?  " 

61 


62  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF. 

Now  Punk  Dixon  was  a  bit  sensitive  on  the  dogie 
question;  while  employed  in  the  engaging  pursuit  of 
prodding  refractory  yearlings  up  a  loading  chute  that 
spring  his  flimsy  footing  had  given  way,  precipitating 
him  under  the  feet  of  twoscore  frightened  animals 
whose  sharp  hoofs  had  reduced  his  brand  new  "  chaps  " 
to  rags  and  himself  to  a  sadly  dilapidated  mass  of  inco 
herent  blasphemy.  But  he  grinned  good-naturedly  and 
wiped  the  surplus  grease  off  his  hands  over  the  head  of 
his  tormenter. 

"  Thar !  That's  better'n  that  pink  axle-grease  yuh 
been  lavigatin'  yuh  pore  old  coco  with,  Woolly,"  vig 
orously  massaging  the  viscid  fat  into  the  bald  pate  with 
his  thumbs,  much  to  the  hilarious  enjoyment  of  the  in 
constant  crowd  who  laughed  even  louder  at  the  last  vic 
tim's  discomfiture.  It  was  a  tradition  that  "  Woolly  " 
Priest  had  been  born  with  exceedingly  long  hair  in  plen 
teous  supply,  losing  it  in  the  stress  of  a  hard  winter 
succeeding  "  thet  awful  calamity  to  Grand  County," 
as  the  narrator  generously  put  it,  by  reason  of  a  goat's 
having  dined  upon  it,  mistaking  it  for  wire  grass !  Ac 
cording  to  the  veracious  relator  his  head  had  been  so 
soft  and  mushy  that  the  goat  had  "  pulled  the  bristles 
out  by  the  roots  'n  they  wa'nt  annythin'  left  fer  a 
starter."  Certain  it  is  that  the  shiny  poll  was  entirely 
devoid  of  any  hirsute  covering  at  the  present  time, 
despite  its  owner's  unremitting  applications  of  all  the 
patent  nostrums  he  could  get  —  the  latest  being  an 
unguent  built  by  Red  McVey's  suggestion  out  of  rattle 
snake  oil  and  Tobasco  sauce ! 

"  Well,"  said  one  of  the  more  optimistic  among  them 


THE  MAN  AND  THE  WOMAN         63 

as  he  kicked  off  his  boots  preparatory  to  turning  in 
after  supper,  "  this  yeah  life  might  be  better,  'n  it  might 
be  wuss.  But  I'm  shore  thankful  fer  this  yeah  leetle 
ole  baid,  an'  thu  knowin'  that  I'm  goin'  to  roll  out  of 
it  to-morrow  mawnin'  alive  an'  kickin'.  They's  a  heap 
o'  satisfaction  in  bein'  able  to  ante  when  yuh  are  called 
to  eat!" 

"  AnJ  thu  daid  don't  eat  none.  Say,  Hungry, 
haow  d'  yuh  like  to  be  Braun?  "  The  speaker  was  the 
friend  of  the  dead  man  who  had  discovered  the  mutila 
tion  of  the  revolver.  The  badinage  ceased  instantly 
and  an  ominous  silence  fell  upon  the  whole  assemblage. 

"  Hungry  "  Thompson  looked  over  to  where  Doug 
lass  was  morosely  glaring  over  the  demolished  ruins  of 
his  spring's  labor.  Even  through  the  murk  of  the 
gathering  night  the  clenched  hands  and  swelling  neck 
cords  were  visible  to  that  sharp  eye. 

"  Haow  d'yuh  like  to  be  Matlock?  " 

A  match  snapped  sharply  as  some  inveterate  smoker 
kindled  his  cigarette.  A  man  sat  bolt  upright  in  his 
blankets  and  Hungry  swore  angrily.  The  camp  sank 
to  rest  but  not  exactly  to  sleep,  as  the  occasional  clearing 
of  a  throat  evinced.  Eventually,  when  the  fire  had 
sunk  to  a  heap  of  smouldering  coals,  tired  nature  as 
serted  itself  and  the  men  slept. 

To  Douglass  alone  came  neither  sleep  nor  rest.  His 
mind  was  in  a  turmoil  of  doubt  and  anger  —  doubt  as 
to  the  nature  of  the  strange  obsession  under  which  he 
travailed,  and  anger  directed  chiefly  against  himself. 
His  hatred  of  Matlock  was  very  bitter,  but  it  was  in 
consequential  in  comparison  with  his  savage  self-objur- 


64  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

gation.  He  did  not  go  to  bed,  as  common  sense  would 
have  dictated  and  overwrought  frame  pleaded,  but  sat 
by  the  dead  coals  smoking  himself  black  in  the  face. 

"  What  an  egregious  ass  I  am  I  "  he  reflected,  re 
viewing  his  senseless  and  stilted  actions  of  the  day  be 
fore.  u  Here  I  am  quarreling  with  the  first  bread  and 
butter  that  ever  came  my  way  with  jelly  on  it.  After 
all,  I  am  only  a  menial,  Carter's  hired  man,  and  I  pre 
sumed  too  far.  What  in  the  devil's  name  is  the  matter 
with  me  ?  My  hide  ought  to  be  thick  enough  by  this 
time,  God  knows !  And  yet  that  fool  girl's  little  bod 
kin  went  through  it  like  an  electric  spark  and  cut  to  the 
marrow!  Well,  she's  taught  me  my  place,  all  right, 
all  right."  He  smiled  his  grim  admiration  of  her 
cleverness.  "  But  it's  too  late.  It's  a  pity,  too,  for 
I  think  I  could  have  made  good." 

It  was  characteristic  of  him  that  he  never  entertained 
even  a  momentary  thought  of  a  possibility  of  recon 
ciliation.  He  had  told  her  what  he  was  going  to  do 
and  that  was  settled  business.  It  was  going  to  be  a 
little  rough  on  him  to  quit  "  broke  ";  it  would  take  all 
his  summer's  wages  to  recoup  Carter  for  that  hay  and 
the  loss  of  the  men's  time  incurred  in  the  ditch  mend 
ing.  The  fall  round-up  would  be  over  by  that  time  and 
work  is  scarce  for  unattached  cowpunchers  in  the  winter. 
It  meant  "  choring  for  his  board  "  until  spring's  activ 
ities  widened  the  vista  and  the  prospect  was  uninviting 
to  one  of  energetic  temperament. 

Even  more  characteristic  was  his  utter  lack  of  resent 
ment  of  the  young  lady's  rebuke;  he  had  "  presumed  too 
far  "  and  got  what  was  coming  to  him.  He  was  con- 


THE  MAN  AND  THE  WOMAN         65 

scious  that  he  had  deserved  it,  in  more  ways  than  one. 
But  even  as  he  admitted  this  to  himself  there  crept 
again  into  his  eyes  a  something  not  altogether  whole 
some  and  reassuring  to  any  woman  arousing  it. 

Of  love  so  far  he  had  known  only  two  phases,  the 
filial  which  is  specifically  restricted,  and  the  universal 
which  is  diametrically  diffused  over  so  great  an  area 
that  it  is  dubious  whether  it  really  merits  that  high 
classification.  For  his  parents  he  had  entertained  an 
affection  closely  approximating  idolatry,  especially  for 
his  mother,  whom  he  had  known  best,  his  father  having 
died  in  his  early  childhood;  he  also  had  a  certain  affec 
tion  for  little  children,  for  flowers,  for  the  more  frail 
and  helpless  things  of  creation  in  general,  that  might  be 
dignified  by  the  name  of  love  but  which  more  probably 
was  merely  the  indulgent  patronage  of  all  strong  natures 
for  things  weaker  than  themselves.  At  college  he  had 
made  no  special  strong  affiliations  for  the  simple  reason 
that  few  of  his  fellow-students  were  strong  enough, 
physically,  mentally,  or  morally,  to  greatly  command 
his  respect.  And  all  unknowing  to  him  he  had  come 
away  from  school  with  a  hunger  in  his  really  affectionate 
heart  that  had  not  been  appeased  by  precarious  contact 
with  the  unsatisfying  elements  among  which  his  lines 
had  been  cast.  Not  once  in  all  his  western  career  had 
he  met  with  an  affinitive  soul  on  which  he  might  have 
leaned  and  so  gained  that  chastening  sense  of  tender 
dependence  without  which  no  man  ever  yet  attained 
happiness. 

Women's  beauty  he  admired,  but  their  virtue  he 
revered  not  at  all;  yet  he  had  a  paradoxical  respect  for 


66  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

that  quality,  whenever  he  encountered  it,  that  first  be 
gat  and  ultimately  conserved  in  him  that  anomalous 
chivalry  of  the  frontier  which  impels  a  man  to  the  es 
pousal  of  the  under  dog's  cause  without  hesitation.  He 
would  have  fought  instantly  .and  to  the  death  for  a 
woman  insulted;  but  he  would  just  as-  readily  have 
sprang  to  the  aid  of  a  man  battling  against  unfair  odds. 
Of  conventionality  he  had  only  a  contemptuous  disre 
gard,  taking  the  goods  the  gods  gave  him  —  when 
altogether  to  his  fastidious  taste  —  when  and  where 
they  offered.  The  very  recklessness  displayed,  and  its 
all  too  frequent  indulgence  and  participation  in  by  the 
objects  of  its  incitation,  had  made  him  calloused  and 
cynical  to  a  degree  very  disastrous  to  a  man  of  his  tender 
years.  For  at  twenty-six  it  is  befitting  to  take  off  one's 
hat  to  a  petticoat  hanging  on  a  clothes  line,  after  the 
traditional  habit  of  Lord  Chesterfield. 

Let  us  not  sit  too  hardly  in  judgment  upon  this  red- 
corpuscled  young  savage.  The  fires  of  youth  burn 
fiercely  into  the  natural  sequence  of  maturity's  steady 
glow  and  senility's  ashes.  A  boy's  will  is  proverbially 
the  wind's  will,  and  youth  must  have  its  fling.  In  a 
land  where  every  man  is  a  law  unto  himself  it  is  hard 
to  fix  limitations  and  the  tide  of  license  rolls  high. 
There  is  no  caste  on  the  frontier,  and  the  range  of  pas 
sion  is  as  wide  as  the  boundless  horizon.  He  had  been 
tenderly  received  in  high  places  before,  and  so  there 
was  nothing  incongruous  in  his  quick  desire  for  Grace 
Carter. 

Something  of  this  was  passing  through  his  mind  now, 
but  somehow  it  savored  of  sophistry  and  he  knit  his 


THE  MAN  AND  THE  WOMAN         67 

brows.  He  had  said  or  done  nothing  to  which  the 
most  hypercritical  could  logically  take  exceptions,  yet 
her  resentment  had  been  spontaneous  and  unmistakable. 

"  Horn  soit  qui  mal  y  pense!  "  he  muttered,  and  again 
his  eyes  held  that  unlovely  light.  "  One  who  divines, 
must  feel  —  and  she  is  only  a  woman  after  all."  But 
the  conclusion  was  not  altogether  satisfying  and  he 
shook  his  head.  The  cigarette  was  suddenly  bitter  in 
his  mouth  and  he  threw  it  away  impatiently. 

"  No,  damned  if  I  believe  that,  either!  I  don't  know 
what  I  believe.  Guess  I  better  hit  the  feathers."  He 
rolled  into  bed,  blinked  sleepily  at  the  stars  for  a  few 
minutes,  and  with  an  indifferent  "  What  the  hell  do  I 
care,  anyway!  "  fell  asleep. 

And  in  the  hammock  seven  miles  away  she  was  mak 
ing  excuses  for  him.  "  He  is  very  impatient  of  re 
straint,"  she  was  thinking,  "  and  probably  I  misjudged 
him,  he  is  so  different  from  the  others."  Nevertheless 
a  sudden  flash  of  anger  kindled  in  her  eyes;  then, 
strangely  enough,  she  smiled  softly  into  the  starlight. 

She  had  yet  two  hours  to  wait  and  the  balmy  stillness 
of  the  night  was  conducive  to  reflection.  Her  thoughts 
went  back  to  the  scenes  of  her  former  life  and  the  peo 
ple  she  had  known  in  that  vastly  different  environment. 
Men  had  been  plentiful.  In  that  effete  land  of  worry 
ing  necessities  the  shrine  of  beauty,  when  allied  with 
reputed  wealth,  has  many  devotees;  the  Carters  were 
known  to  be  "  cattle  kings."  She  was  familiar  with 
many  types,  and  with  the  arrogance  of  all  youthful 
women,  deemed  herself  an  infallible  judge  of  men  and 
their  motives.  There  had  been  men  of  parts  among 


68  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

her  acquaintances:  soldiers,  merchants,  clergymen, 
writers,  financiers,  and  fops  galore.  Some  she  had  re 
spected,  a  few  she  had  admired,  many  she  had  tolerated, 
but  none  she  had  loved.  She  was  generous  in  her  esti 
mation  of  their  worth  and  strove  to  enthuse  over  their 
many  excellences,  but  to  her  irritation,  suddenly  realized 
that  she  was  weighing  them  all  against  a  gray-eyed  man 
in  a  fire-rent  shirt,  with  smoke-grimed  face  and  singed 
hair. 

She  turned  uneasily  in  her  hammock,  catching 
through  the  wistaria  a  glimpse  of  the  open  door  of 
the  dimly-lit  bunkhouse.  She  could  see  the  intermittent 
glow  of  Red's  cigarette,  and  the  glisten  of  the  polished 
steel  in  the  holster,  hung  carelessly  on  his  bed-post. 
Suddenly  she  was  infected  by  the  magnificent  extrava 
gance  of  this  western  life,  this  queer  jumble  of  loyalty, 
pride,  poverty,  sacrifice,  sin,  strength,  suffering,  forti 
tude  and  malignity.  She  felt  a  fierce  satisfaction  in 
living  where  men  begged  for  the  privilege  of  killing 
the  enemies  of  their  friends,  and  she  felt  almost  grateful 
to  Red  for  his  savage  appreciation  of  the  courage 
which  had  transformed  Douglass  from  his  dearest  foe 
into  his  dearest  friend.  She  had  even  a  greater  reason 
to  be  grateful  to  him,  had  she  only  known  it. 

"  He  must  not  leave,"  she  said  with  a  fine  determina 
tion.  "  It  will  check  his  career  —  and  we  owe  so  much 
to  him.  I  am  a  supersensitive  little  fool  and  I  will 
make  amends.  Bobbie  said  we  must  '  make  it  up  to 
him  J  and  I  will.  He  is  a  gentleman,  and  he  will  not 
make  it  hard  for  me."  Comforted  by  her  intuitive  as 
surance  of  that  fact  she  laid  her  soft  cheek  on  the  pil- 


THE  MAN  AND  THE  WOMAN         69 

low  at  precisely  the  moment  of  Douglass's  fine  assump 
tion  of  indifference,  and  fell  asleep. 

But  out  in  the  kitchen  an  old  woman  was  awkwardly 
stroking  the  head  of  an  antelope  kid.  "  I  wonder  ef  I 
done  right?"  she  mumbled.  "I  wonder!" 


CHAPTER  VII 
BELSHAZZAR 

IN  October  the  Colorado  mountain  lands  are  very 
beautiful.  They  lack,  it  is  true,  the  gorgeous  coloring 
of  the  eastern  Indian  summer,  with  its  beauty  of  scar 
lets,  crimsons,  ochres,  maroons  and  mauves,  the  western 
color  scheme  being  in  half-tints  of  low  tone.  The  bar 
baric  splendor  of  the  eastern  autumn  is  here  reflected 
only  in  the  evening  skies  and  in  the  glowing  grays,  blues, 
browns,  blacks,  bronzes  and  golds  of  the  eyes,  hair  and 
faces  of  the  hardy  mountaineers. 

Over  the  foothills  and  valleys  are  spread  tenderly 
the  more  delicate  tints  of  the  Master's  palette;  the  en- 
veiling  haze  is  golden  instead  of  purple,  the  tints  of 
verdure  and  earth  are  softly  subdued  and  blend  together 
with  all  the  exquisite  harmony  of  an  old  Bokhara  rug. 
Even  the  once-disfiguring  alkali  barrens  appeal  to  the 
eye  now,  their  velvet  cloaks  of  ash-of-roses  contrasting 
most  agreeably  with  the  delicate  olive-grays  and  helio 
tropes  of  the  sage  and  rabbit  brush.  Here  and  there 
a  belated  Indian-shot  flaunts  its  brilliant  lance  and  over 
yonder  a  cactus  masks  its  treachery  with  a  blush;  an 
occasional  larkspur  or  gentian  raises  blue  eyes  from  the 
gentle  hill  slopes,  and  down  on  the  plains  the  martial 
Spanish-bayonet  parades  its  oriflamme.  The  whole 

70 


BELSHAZZAR  71 

landscape  has  an  underlying  wash  of  burnt  sienna,  glow 
ing  warmly  through  the  superimposed  color. 

The  forests  are  mysterious  with  silent  flitting  mouse- 
blue  and  gray-tawny  shadows,  and  the  dim  trails  and 
passes  are  incised  with  the  quaint  hieroglyphics  which 
tell  the  story  of  the  migrant  deer.  The  oily  black- 
green  splashes  of  spruce  and  fir,  the  silvery  valance 
of  the  aspens,  and  the  ermine  of  the  snow  coronal 
against  the  puce  of  protuding  peaks  in  the  higher  ranges 
are  the  only  decided  colors  in  mass.  Of  early  morn 
ings  the  mountain  bases  in  the  distances  are  billows  of 
smoked-pearl  mist;  as  the  light  strengthens  and  the  tem 
perature  rises,  the  mist  rises  with  it,  dissipating  gradu 
ally  into  thin  wreaths  of  dainty  rose-pink,  faint  orange 
—  and  nothingness.  In  the  as  yet  undisturbed  shadows 
the  bold  cliffs  suggest  to  the  imaginative  mind  aggre 
gations  of  uncut  crystals;  higher  up,  where  they  catch 
the  downward  reflected  rays  of  the  warming  sun,  they 
are  amber  and  wine-colored  topazes,  and  on  the  ice- 
capped  summits  they  are  scintillant  as  diamonds.  At 
midday  the  pure  rarified  air  is  a  marvel  of  transparent 
clarity  and  everything  is  as  clear  cut  as  a  cameo. 

It  is  not  until  late  in  the  afternoon  that  the  great 
mystery  evolves.  All  of  a  sudden  one  is  aware  of  a 
decided  and  yet  intangible  change.  Imperceptibly  but 
surely  the  temperature  falls,  the  quality  of  light  alters, 
the  heat  shimmer  is  no  more  and  a  golden  radiance 
replaces  the  brazen  glare  of  the  sun;  into  the  nostrils 
steals  an  indescribable  perfume,  elusive  and  infrangible, 
the  brown  scent  of  autumn  wafted  to  the  senses  on  the 
cool  breath  of  the  frozen  heights  above.  Instinctively 


72  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

the  perceptions  sharpen ;  this  is  the  hour  when  beast  and 
bird  bestir  themselves  and  the  vista  is  enlivened  with 
a  new  animation.  Out  of  nowhere,  seemingly,  struts 
a  sage  hen  with  her  brood;  another  and  yet  another 
materializes  under  your  feet  until  it  seems  as  if  the 
very  soil  was  being  transmuted  into  patches  of  gray- 
speckled  life.  In  the  apparent  vacancy  of  that  soft- 
swelling  knoll  to  the  west  looms  up  the  phantom  bulk 
of  an  antelope,  disproportionately  large  and  deceptively 
black  against  the  sun.  A  dun-colored  heap  of  trash 
at  the  foot  of  a  sagebrush  in  the  bight  of  the  dry 
creek-bed  below  resolves  itself  into  a  very  live-looking 
coyote  which  blinks  yearningly  at  the  unattainable  veni 
son  on  the  knoll  above,  wistfully  licks  his  chops  and 
slinks  evilly  in  the  wake  of  the  grouse  broods. 

As  the  sun  dips  behind  the  detached  mountain  spurs 
in  the  west  the  shadows  grow  slightly  blue  and  the  high 
lights  intensify.  By  some  optical  necromancy  the 
clouds  seem  massed  in  the  west,  the  whole  eastern 
sweep  of  sky  being  an  unbroken  wash  of  salmon  pink, 
relieved  by  tinges  of  apple-green  at  its  nethermost 
edges.  Against  this  tender  background  the  minutest 
details  of  the  majestic  Rockies  stand  out  with  such 
vivid  distinctness  that  one  gasps  with  the  wonder  of  it. 
Long  after  the  low  lands  have  gloomed  these  heights 
glow  with  a  glory  indescribable,  and  when  it  has  finally 
passed  one  feels  as  though  a  glimpse  of  Heaven  itself 
had  been  vouchsafed  to  the  soul  torn  with  Life's  tor 
turing  skepticism. 

But  what  words  can  describe,  what  brush  portray  the 
awful  grandeur  of  the  western  sky!  Before  that  riot 


BELSHAZZAR  73 

of  color  the  eye  falls  abashed  as  did  those  of  Moses  on 
the  mount.  The  sublimity  of  it  shrivels  man's  pitiful 
egoism  until  he  grovels  in  humility  and  awe.  When 
God  lays  His  hand  upon  the  sky  the  dimmest  eye  sees 
and  the  most  skeptical  heart  believes! 

She  was  saying  as  much  in  substance  to  him  as  they 
rode  homeward  in  the  soft  afterglow,  her  face  trans 
figured  by  the  reverence  in  her  heart.  He  assented 
gravely,  his  eyes  dwelling  admiringly  upon  her  rare 
beauty.  In  the  hallowing  light  of  the  hour  she  was 
invested  with  a  new  charm  to  this  appreciative  Panthe 
ist  and  from  some  pigeon-hole  of  his  well-stocked  and 
retentive  memory  called  the  almost-inspired  voice  of  old 
Ossian : 

"  Fair  was  Colna-Dona,  the  daughter  of  kings, 
Her  soul  was  a  pure  beam  of  light ! " 

Unconsciously  he  put  his  thought  into  words  and  the 
voice  was  very  gentle.  She  looked  at  him  dubiously, 
almost  apprehensively;  it  was  hard  to  differentiate  be 
tween  this  man's  cynicism  and  sincerity.  Then  she 
dropped  her  eyes  in  rosy  confusion,  her  heart  leaping 
unaccountably. 

"  That  was  a  false  note  the  Psalmist  struck,"  he 
went  on  quietly,  "  when  he  sang  of  the  wrath  of  his 
God.  It  were  better  he  had  dwelt  only  on  the  sweeter 
quantity  of  His  love.  I  am  sorry  for  that  devotion 
inspired  only  by  fear.  This  is  the  manifestation  best 
calculated  to  insure  one's  keeping  in  the  right  trail." 
He  swept,  his  hand  comprehensively  toward  the  west 
ern  glory.  "  Men  do  not  love  the  thing  they  fear  — 


74  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

nor  women  either."  His  tone  was  quizzical  and  chal 
lenging. 

She  looked  up  in  sudden  relief;  this  was  more  fa 
miliar  ground  and  she  laughed  with  sudden  audacity. 

"  How  do  you  know?  " 

"  About  women?  Well,  I'll  admit  that  was  a  bluff; 
but  I  know  all  about  men;  I  am  one  of  them!  The 
divinity  that  shapes  our  ends  must  kiss,  not  kick !  " 

At  this  unconscious  confirmation  of  old  Abigail's 
sage  conclusions  her  laugh  pealed  out  merrily.  "  Feed 
'em  well,  speak  'em  kind,  an'  give  'em  theah  haids  on 
a  hawd  pull  er  in  a  tight  place,"  she  quoted  with  inimi 
table  mimicry,  and  he  grinned  with  quick  understand 
ing. 

"  Good  old  Abbie!  I  wonder  who  she  loved 
enough  to  learn  all  that?  And  so  you've  been  taking 
lessons,  too  I  " 

"  I  thought  we  had  done  with  that,"  she  said  almost 
pleadingly.  "  You  make  it  very  hard  for  me !  " 

Instantly  he  was  all  contrition.  "  Forgive  me !  I 
shall  not  offend  again."  She  took  his  extended  hand 
frankly  and  for  a  time  they  rode  in  silence.  The  nar 
row  canon  trail  necessitated  their  riding  very  closely 
together  and  occasionally  his  leathern  chaps  brushed 
against  her.  Once,  as  they  rounded  an  abrupt  turn, 
the  heavy  revolver  at  his  hip  was  jammed  painfully 
against  her  gauntlet;  she  merely  shut  her  teeth  and 
smiled. 

They  were  returning  from  Tin  Cup,  whither  they  had 
gone  in  the  morning  in  company  with  Robert  and  his 
mother,  who  were  leaving  for  the  East.  The  morn- 


BELSHAZZAR  75 

ing  after  his  arrival  at  the  ranch  she  had  bravely  told 
her  brother  the  whole  circumstances  of  the  preceding 
week,  magnanimously  taking  upon  herself  all  the  blame 
• —  in  which  truth  compels  us  to  say  her  brother  en 
tirely  agreed  —  and  thereafter  had  ridden  out  to  the 
camp  of  the  ditch  repairers  and  patched  up  a  truce 
with  Douglass. 

"  I  am  only  a  tenderfoot,"  she  had  wisely  begun, 
"  and  always  have  had  an  unhappy  faculty  of  doing  the 
wrong  thing  unintentionally.  You  are  a  big,  strong, 
generous  man,  and  you  will  hold  no  malice  against  a 
foolish  girl  —  !  " 

He  capitulated  instantly;  but  he  was  over-voluble  in 
his  reassurances  and  somehow  she  divined  that  her 
apology  had  missed  fire  so  far  as  it  affected  his  deter 
mination  to  leave  when  he  had  recouped  her  brother 
for  the  losses  he  had  unwittingly  brought  about.  She 
was  not  for  a  moment  deceived  by  his  studiously  polite 
words  but  was  too  politic  to  betray  it.  He  had  affected 
not  to  see  the  hand  she  had  timidly  extended  in  amity 
and  for  that  he  would  pay,  later !  There  was  much  of 
old  Bob  Carter's  inflexible  determination  in  this  frail- 
looking  daughter  of  his. 

To  her  mother  she  had,  curiously  enough,  said  noth 
ing  about  it.  She  had  even  been  unwise  enough  to 
impose  secrecy  upon  her  brother  and  Abigail  as  to  the 
cause  of  the  conflagration  and  Red's  mishap,  forget 
ting  that  Mrs.  Carter  was  range  bred  and  born,  and 
that  Nellie  Vaughan  was  an  incorrigible  gossip!  It 
would  not  have  added  to  her  equanimity  to  have  known 
that  inside  of  twenty-four  hours  her  astute  mother  was 


7  6  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

in  possession  of  all  the  facts  and  considerably  perturbec 
thereover.  She  would,  however,  have  appreciated  the 
relief  in  her  mother's  eyes  on  her  first  encounter  witr 
Douglass. 

"  Clean,  manly  and  good  to  look  at,"  had  been  hei 
shrewd  verdict.  "  Thoroughbred  stock,  too.  A  gooc 
friend  and  a  bad  enemy !  A  good  cowman  and  a  val 
uable  accession  all  around.  I  really  must  congratulate 
Robbie.  But  what  is  Grace's  mysterious  interest  ir 
him?  She  was  very  anxious  not  to  have  me  find  oul 
the  facts  about  this  latest  outrage,  poor  dear!  Was 
it  that  she  was  afraid  that  I  would  be  unduly  exercisec 
over  a  trifle  like  this?  " 

She  smiled  somewhat  grimly  as  her  mind  went  back 
to  that  day  when,  over  her  husband's  unconscious  form 
thrown  at  her  feet  by  the  benumbing  bullets  of  a  gang 
of  rustlers,  she  had  emptied  the  magazine  of  his  Win 
chester  to  such  effect  that  border  men  rode  far  out  oi 
their  way  to  take  off  their  hats  to  "  Bob  Carter's  pard." 
The  recollection  sent  the  blood  into  the  fine  old  cheeks 
and  her  hands  were  again  clenched  retrospectively  upon 
that  shapely  bit  of  walnut  and  steel  which  had  served 
her  so  well  that  day.  Then  the  lips  softened  won- 
drously  and  a  great  sweetness  flooded  her  eyes.  She 
was  thinking  how  tenderly  he  had  kissed  her  powder- 
blackened  hands  and  bruised  shoulder,  his  heart  throb 
bing  with  love  and  wonder  and  pride  of  her. 

She  was  very  gracious  to  Douglass  that  night  at 
dinner,  leading  him  on  with  skill  to  talk  of  himself, 
and  drawing  him  out  to  a  degree  that  would  have 


BELSHAZZAR  77 

astonished  him  had  he  realized  it.  Under  her  charm 
ing  personality,  quick  and  sympathetic  intelligence  and 
clever  induction,  his  reserve  melted  gradually  and  soon 
he  was  talking  more  freely  than  he  had  ever  done  to 
human  being  before.  When  he  had  finally  made  his 
exit  she  turned  thoughtfully  to  her  children. 

"  We  want  to  be  very  judicious  in  our  dealings  with 
that  young  man.  He  is  of  sterling  quality,  but  super- 
sensitive  and  impulsive,  and  requires  handling  with 
gloves  of  velvet.  I  think  he  is  scrupulously  honest, 
and  I  should  imagine  inordinately  brave  —  and  vain ! 
Do  you  know  anything  of  his  antecedents?  " 

"  Only  that  he  is  American  born,  of  Scotch  descent, 
mother,"  replied  Robert,  "  and  that  he  was  educated 
at  Yale.  He  is  a  civil  engineer  by  profession,  I  be 
lieve,  but  he  is  hardly  the  kind  of  man  from  whom  one 
would  attempt  to  force  confidences.  All  I  know  is 
that  he  is  the  pluckiest  fellow  in  the  world,  and  the 
most  generous  and  considerate.  Why,  one  night  at 
the  Alcazar  — "  and  he  proceeded  to  the  eager  relation 
of  his  pet  story. 

She  listened  attentively,  nodding  her  full  comprehen 
sion.  "That  is  what  I  would  have  expected  of  him; 
I  am  seldom  mistaken  in  my  judgment  of  the  type. 
And  I  presume  his  services  here  are  in  every  way  satis 
factory?  Well,  let  us  make  every  consistent  effort 
to  retain  him;  such  men  are  scarce  even  in  this  land  of 
good  men.  I  suppose  that  the  man  Matlock  has  left 
the  country?" 

"  He  has  not  been  seen  since  the  night  of  which  I 


78  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

spoke.  Ken  seems  to  have  run  him  out  for  keeps !  " 
His  voice  was  distinctly  boastful.  "  And  if  he  knows 
what  is  good  for  him  he'll  stay  out!  " 

If  Mrs.  Carter,  glancing  casually  at  her  daughter, 
noted  the  sudden  compression  of  Grace's  lips,  she  made 
no  comment  thereon.  She  had  craftily  wormed  out 
of  one  of  the  men,  the  youngster  detailed  for  chore- 
work,  the  story  of  the  men's  agreement  to  leave  Mat- 
lock's  punishment  to  Douglass.  She  understood  the 
situation  thoroughly,  and,  as  a  typical  range  woman  she 
approved  of  Douglass's  determination.  The  quarrel 
was  eminently  his,  and  upon  him  in  person  devolved 
its  settlement.  What  she  could  not  understand  was 
the  distress  in  her  daughter's  face  as  she  said  earnestly : 

"  I  am  not  so  sure  that  you  have  seen  the  last  of 
him.  Such  men  as  he  are  tenacious  and  revengeful; 
he  fired  our  stacks,  you  remember !  Don't  look  so 
surprised,  Robbie.  It  was  very  nice  and  thoughtful 
of  you  and  Grace  to  try  to  keep  me  from  knowing, 
but  your  mother  was  born  in  this  valley  and  is  still  in 
full  possession  of  all  her  faculties.  Besides,  conver 
sational  topics  are  scarce,  and  your  neighbors  like  to 
talk!"  Then  as  an  after-thought,  "  I  think  Mr. 
Douglass  is  fully  able  to  cope  with  the  situation !  " 

Later,  as  she  stood  by  the  window  of  her  darkened 
room  looking  abstractedly  out  into  the  beautiful  night, 
she  saw  him  enter  the  room  where  Red  lay  strumming 
on  his  guitar.  Approvingly  she  noted  his  quick, 
springy  stride,  his  alert,  upright  carriage,  the  whole 
sinewy  grace  of  him  as  he  bent  kindly  over  his  com 
rade. 


BELSHAZZAR  79 

"  What  a  splendid  young  animal  it  is,"  she  mused, 
smilingly,  "  one  eminently  calculated  to  fill  the  eye  of  a 
romantic  young  girl.  After  all,  why  should  I  inter 
fere  ?  As  he  said  to-night,  '  every  one  has  to  dree  his 
own  weird ! '  Then  again,  she  has  known  all  kinds 
of  men,  and  this  in  all  likelihood  is  merely  a  transient 
fancy  bred  of  the  novel  environment  and  will  doubt 
lessly  pass  in  due  course."  Her  face  grew  serious, 
however,  as  she  recalled  the  concern  in  Grace's  face  at 
her  reference  to  Matlock's  revengefulness.  "  Pro 
pinquity  —  and  youth  —  and  passion !  A  precarious 
trio,  indeed.  Everything  considered,  I  think  I  will 
take  her  back  with  me,"  concluded  this  astute  woman 
of  the  world. 

She  was,  nevertheless,  not  unduly  surprised  at  Grace's 
negation  of  that  proposal  when  it  was  broached  the 
week  before  her  mother's  departure.  The  young 
woman  urged  her  very  evident  physical  betterment  since 
coming  to  the  ranch,  and  her  great  desire  to  witness 
that  most  spectacular  of  range  functions,  the  fall 
round-up.  With  the  imposed  condition  that  her  stay 
would  not  extend  over  the  holiday  season,  her  mother 
consented,  hesitatingly.  But  she  took  occasion,  that 
very  evening,  to  casually  bring  Douglass  under  dis 
cussion,  concluding  a  very  generous  estimation  of  him 
with  the  significant  words :  "  One  can  trust  to  an  ap 
peal  to  his  honor  when  every  other  means  fail !  " 
That  she  directed  the  remark  particularly  to  Grace, 
was  doubtless  without  premeditation,  and  assuredly 
called  for  no  reply.  Yet  there  was  a  certain  resent 
ment  in  the  girl's  rather  constrained  answer: 


8o  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

"  Do  you  think  it  probable  that  such  an  exigency 
will  ever  arise?  " 

The  world-wise  old  woman  looked  thoughtfully  at 
the  flushed  face,  thinking  how  singularly  beautiful  it 
was.  Then  she  scanned  the  perfectly  proportioned 
figure  beneath,  its  exquisite  modeling  revealed  and  ac 
centuated  by  the  clinging  silk  fabric  of  the  thin  even 
ing  gown. 

"  Anything  is  probable  to  a  man  of  his  tempera 
ment,"  she  said  calmly.  "  Strong  natures  like  his  are 
contemptuous  of  limitations  and  laugh  at  ethical  restric 
tions.  That  man,  if  I  mistake  not,  will  go  straight 
to  his  desire  as  a  bullet  to  the  mark,  regardless  of  what 
stands  between." 

Robert  laughed  fatuously,  missing  entirely  the  drift 
of  the  undercurrent.  "  You  have  certainly  got  him 
sized  up  right,  Mater.  Ken  is  *  sure  chain  lighting'  as 
Williams  says." 

"  And  if  it  be  evil  to  stand  in  the  path  of  a  thunder 
bolt,  how  inconceivably  foolish  to  invite  its  stroke !  " 

The  young  man  stared  dubiously  at  her;  all  this 
seemed  inconsequential  to  him,  this  talk  of  thunderbolts 
and  bullets.  Did  these  foolish  women  think  that  Ken 
Douglass  was  ass  enough  to  expose  himself  recklessly 
to  either.  In  some  respects  the  master  of  the  C  Bar 
was  as  unimaginative  and  simple-minded  as  a  new-born 
baby. 

"  Don't  yuh  worrit  none  about  thundeh-strikes,"  in 
terjected  Abbie,  with  crisp  assurance,  entering  the  room 
in  pursuit  of  the  too-intrusive  Buffo,  who  every  evening 
persisted  in  joining  the  family  circle.  "  They  ain't 


BELSHAZZAR  81 

goin'  to  be  no  thundeh-stawms  so  late  in  thu  yeah;  yuh 
suahly  know  thet,  Mis'  Cahtah,  yuh  was  bawn  heah  1  " 

The  lady  addressed  smiled  indulgently  at  her  old 
friend.  "  I  am  hoping  that  there  will  be  no  storms 
of  any  sort  which  will  cause  suffering  and  misery  to 
anybody,  Abbie.  Life  is  too  short  to  be  spoiled  with 
heartaches." 

"  Do  you  know  whose  property  this  is?  "  she  asked 
Grace  that  night,  coming  into  her  bedroom  as  she  was 
preparing  to  retire.  "  One  of  the  men  found  it  this 
morning  just  outside  the  main  gate  and  brought  it  to 
me,  thinking  it  belonged  to  Robert.  But  the  hand 
writing  is  not  his,  I  know,  and  I  thought  you  might 
recognize  it.  There  is  no  name  on  the  fly-leaf."  She 
handed  her  a  thin,  long,  morocco-covered  note-book, 
which  opened  of  itself,  as  she  laid  it  in  the  young  lady's 
hand,  at  a  place  where  the  leaves  were  separated  by  a 
withered  flower.  It  was  a  long-dried  mountain  heart's- 
ease,  and,  despite  her  efforts,  her  cheeks  reddened  con 
sciously.  The  writing  on  the  pages  was  in  verse  and 
she  recognized  the  bold,  free  style  at  a  glance.  She 
had  commented  frequently  on  his  firm,  legible  script 
when  auditing  his  accounts  in  company  with  her 
brother.  And  once  he  had  sent  her  a  little  formal 
note,  asking  if  she  had  any  commissions  for  him  to  ex 
ecute  in  Denver,  where  he  had  gone  on  some  private 
business  shortly  after  her  overtures  at  reconciliation. 
She  had  eagerly  grasped  the  olive  branch  so  chillingly 
extended,  and  his  matching  of  the  silk  floss  samples  she 
sent  him  in  reply  was  entirely  to  her  satisfaction.  It  is 
a  question  if  she  would  have  appreciated  the  grim 


82  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

humor  of  her  commission  had  she  known  his  real  mis 
sion  to  the  capital  city.  He  had  been  informed,  on 
more  or  less  reliable  authority,  that  Matlock  had  been 
seen  there  a  few  days  previously!  The  report  proved 
to  be  false,  and  the  note  was  now  enveloping  a  cluster 
of  withered  hearths-ease  in  her  sandalwood  jewel  case. 

Without  hesitation  she  identified  the  handwriting. 
"I  think  it  must  belong  to  Mr.  Douglass;"  she  said 
frankly,  meeting  her  mother's  eyes  without  a  particle  of 
indecision.  "  I  am  quite  familiar  with  his  writing, 
having  helped  Bobbie  in  auditing  his  accounts.  And 
this  flower,  I  think,  is  one  I  gave  him  some  months 
ago." 

Mrs.  Carter's  eyes  snapped  with  a  fierce  pride.  She 
put  her  arm  tenderly  about  the  velvety  neck. 

"  Kiss  me,  dearie !  You  are  very  like  your  father, 
and  he  was  the  bravest  man  God  ever  made !  "  At 
the  threshold  she  turned;  "I  think  it  entirely  permis 
sible  —  indeed,  I  much  desire  that  you  read  that 


verse." 


For  the  first  time  since  her  coming  to  the  ranch,  Grace 
Carter  turned  the  key  in  the  door  lock;  then  she  laid 
the  notebook  on  her  dressing  table  and  completed  her 
preparations  for  rest.  Finally,  she  sat  down  on  the 
edge  of  the  bed  and  opened  the  book.  Carefully  she 
removed  the  flower  and  laid  it  on  a  silk  handkerchief, 
folded  for  its  reception.  For  a  time  she  sat  looking  at 
it  reminiscently ;  then  with  a  visible  effort  she  turned  to 
the  clearly-written  pages. 

She  read  with  great  deliberation,  a  second  and  then  a 
third  time,  a  hymn  to  love,  boyishly  crude,  but  charged 


BELSHAZZAR  83 

to  the  full  with  youth  and  longing;  no  better  and  no 
worse,  perhaps,  than  the  average  effusion  of  twenty- 
six  in  love,  not  with  woman  but  with  love;  authentic, 
and  for  that  reason  sacred ;  overwrought,  as  became  the 
heedless  passion  which  inspired  it;  self-revealing,  but 
of  sex  and  temper  rather  than  of  mind.  A  few  years 
back  it  would  have  shocked  her;  now,  it  made  her  think. 
She  replaced  the  flower,  closed  the  book  and  thrust 
it  under  her  pillow.  Far  into  the  night  she  sat  there, 
her  arms  clasped  about  her  knees,  her  eyes  luminous 
but  unseeing.  Finally  the  night  chill  aroused  her  and 
she  slipped  into  bed. 


CHAPTER  VIII 
THE  PASSING  OF  A  CLOUD 

BUT  that  was  a  week  ago  and  now  she  was  riding 
homeward  with  him  in  the  moonlight.  She  had  the 
notebook  in  the  inside  pocket  of  her  riding  jacket,  hav 
ing  decided  to  return  it  to  him  in  person,  and  this  had 
been  her  first  opportunity,  he  having  been  away  for  the 
whole  of  the  previous  week  on  some  range  matter  re 
quiring  his  personal  attention. 

He  had  evidently  dropped  the  book  from  his  shirt 
pocket  during  his  struggle  with  the  refractory  gate,  and 
on  his  return  had  interrogated  everyone  on  the  ranch 
about  it  except  the  actual  finder,  that  worthy  being 
absent  at  the  time  of  his  return  on  some  errand  for  Miss 
Carter.  He  was  very  anxious  for  its  recovery  for  more 
reasons  than  one.  It  contained  some  valuable  memo 
randa  about  his  range  work;  and  then,  again,  he  had 
private  reasons  why  none  of  the  men  should  chance  to 
fall  afoul  of  his  metrical  effusion.  He  was  familiar 
with  the  coarse  badinage  of  the  camp,  a  humor  that 
respects  no  personage,  however  high  his  official  posi 
tion,  and  the  possibilities  worried  him. 

He  felt  a  great  chagrin  that  he  had  as  yet  not  been 
able  to  locate  Matlock.  In  his'  supersensitiveness  he 
was  obsessed  with  an  entirely  unfounded  impression  that 
he  was  losing  prestige  among  his  men  because  of  the 


THE  PASSING  OF.  A  CLOUD  85 

unavoidable  delay.  If  they  were  to  learn  that  he  had 
been  farther  guilty  of  the  inexcusable  weakness  of  writ 
ing  verse  of  that  sentimental  character,  his  cup  of  bitter 
ness  would  be  running  over ! 

Imagine  his  unbounded  relief  when  shje  handed  it  to 
him  with  the  simple  remark:  "  I  have  something  here 
belonging  to  you,  I  think."  But  almost  instantly  he 
was  filled  with  consternation.  Had  she  by  any  mis 
erable  chance  read  that  verse!  Intuitively  she  felt 
what  was  passing  in  his  mind  and  demurely  fibbed  for 
his  reassurance :  "  Mamma  recovered  it  —  I  think  she 
said  it  was  found  at  the  gate  —  and  brought  it  to  me. 
I  knew  it  was  yours  from  the  memoranda  on  the  first 
page,  but  forgot  to  return  it  before.  I  sincerely  hope 
I  have  not  caused  you  any  inconvenience?  " 

He  was  almost  vehement  in  his  eagerness  to  assure 
her  that  it  was  altogether  a  matter  of  no  moment,  but 
her  eyes  twinkled  mischievously  as  she  noted  the  care 
with  which  he  bestowed  it  in  a  safe  place.  "  After  all, 
men  are  only  boys  grown  up,"  she  thought,  and  her  re 
gard  for  him  was  ludicrously  maternal.  She  felt  an 
almost  irresistible  desire  to  lecture  him  on  the  folly  of 
his  ways  and  the  dangerous  possibilities  attendant  on 
the  writing  of  erotic  verse;  she  actually  began  a  homily 
on  the  uncertainty  of  life  and  one's  logical  duty  of  the 
enjoyment  of  things  actually  in  possession  rather  than 
the  pitiable  craving  for  the  unattainable.  She  had 
cleverly  led  up  to  it  by  enthusiastically  admiring  the 
beauty  of  the  perfect  night  and  the  understandable  at 
traction  that  these  glorious  surroundings  had  for  every 
one  who  came  into  intimate  contact  with  them. 


86  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

Once,  in  the  emphasizing  of  some  vital  point  in  issue, 
she  impulsively  laid  her  gloved  hand  on  his  arm;  the 
man  started  as  if  he  had  been  stung  and  she  recoiled 
from  the  hunger  in  his  eyes.  The  mothering  of  a  lion 
cub  has  its  disadvantages,  and  thereafter  her  milk  of 
human  kindness  overflowed  no  more. 

There  was  an  evident  suspicion  evinced  in  the  keen 
attention  he  was  paying  to  her  words  as  she  trenched 
on  the  delicate  topic  of  logical  content  with  one's  mili 
tant  blessings,  and  she  ingeniously  proceeded  to  dis 
arm  it. 

"  Why  is  it  that  among  the  thousands  of  susceptible 
and  impressionable  souls  that  have  reveled  in  these  de 
lights,  not  one  has  had  the  moral  courage  to  depict  them 
in  print?  The  labor  would  surely  be  one  of  love  and 
the  inspiration  never  lacks." 

"  Possibly,"  he  suggested,  "  it  is  a  matter  of  sheer 
mental  and  literary  inability.  But  few  have  been  en 
dowed  with  the  gift  of  Genius.  And  then,  again,  au 
thorship  is  necessarily  an  affair  of  leisure,  and  life  is 
apt  to  be  strenuous  in  these  hills."  He  turned  in  his 
saddle  and  laughingly  asked  her:  "How  much  time 
coulu  your  cowpunchers  afford  to  devote  to  the  Muses, 
Miss  Grace?" 

"  Genius  knows  no  paltry  restrictions  of  time  and 
place,"  she  said,  with  some  acerbity,  "  and  I  know  of  at 
least  one  of  the  men  you  mention  who  has  the  ability 
if  not  the  courage." 

He  winced  a  little  at  that  and  the  cloud  of  suspicion 
grew  denser.  But  it  was  partly  dissipated  at  her  earnest 


THE  PASSING  OF  A  CLOUD  87 

inquiry:  "  Why  do  not  you,  a  man  of  keen  discernment 
and  liberal  education,  essay  the  task?  I  am  certain 
that  you  would  achieve  a  great  success." 

"  I  have  other  work  to  do,"  he  said,  gruffly.  "  And 
I  am  not  sure  that  I  find  your  suggestion  at  all  compli 
mentary.  Am  I  to  infer  that  in  your  estimation  I  am 
blessed  with  an  inordinate  amount  of  leisure  time?  " 

She  shrugged  her  shoulders  with  wrathful  impatience ; 
he  was  a  bigger  baby  than  she  had  thought.  "  That 
was  gratuitous,"  she  said,  with  a  fine  show  of  indigna 
tion  ;  "  and  you  are  not  at  all  nice  when  you  are  inso 
lent."  To  her  disgust  he  chuckled  audibly,  leaning 
over  his  pommel  in  simulated  humility. 

"Lesson  number  three.  I'm  getting  that  'liberal 
education '  fast,"  he  murmured;  "  by  and  by  Til  know 
enough  to  put  into  a  book." 

For  the  life  of  her  she  could  not  resist  the  tempta 
tion.  "  If  you  do,  don't  write  it  in  verse." 

Instantly  she  regretted  her  temerity.  "  There  are  so 
few  people  who  write  verse  acceptably,"  she  explained 
hurriedly,  "  and  there  are  too  many  ambitious  things 
that  die  '  abornin','  as  Abbie  would  say,  from  that  very 
reason.  Prose  has  much  more  potentiality  and  is  more 
acceptable  to  the  masses.  Of  course  " —  the  tone  was 
that  of  innocence  personified — "if  you  can  do  verse, 
that  would  be  another  matter.  The  essential  thing  is 
that  you  do  write  the  book.  Will  you  ?  Please." 

The  voice  was  almost  tenderly  imploring;  his  brow 
cleared.  He  was  almost  ashamed  of  his  momentary 
distrust  of  her.  In  polite  society  people  do  not  read 


88  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

private  documents;  evidently  this  young  woman  had 
come  dangerously  close  to  his  rash  misjudgment  and  he 
was  properly  penitent. 

Still  he  was  tormented  by  an  insistent  doubt.  Why 
had  she  particularized  that  first  page  of  memoranda? 
With  a  fatuous  attempt  at  diplomacy  he  put  his  foot 
into  it. 

"  Why  should  you  assume  so  flatteringly  that  I  have 
any  literary  ability  ?  "  He  thought  the  question  almost 
Machlavelian  in  its  adroitness. 

She  had  her  cue,  now.  "  Well,  your  aptness  at  quo 
tation  from  obscure  sources  presupposes  a  wide  range 
of  reading,  a  retentive  memory,  and  a  love  for  litera 
ture.  Then,  again,  you  have  rare  constructiveness  and 
—  and  — "  her  simulation  of  modest  distress  would 
have  deceived  even  a  wiser  man  — "  a  horribly  clever 
knack  of  impromptu  rhyme,  as  I  have  regretful  reasons 
for  knowing." 

Poor  Machiavelli !  He  was  at  her  feet  figuratively 
in  an  instant.  "  That  Buffo  business !  It  was  abom 
inable  of  me !  Don't  judge  me  by  a  thing  like  that.  I 
can  do  better  things.  Will  you  let  bygones  be  bygones, 
if  I  plead  guilty  to  the  gentle  impeachment  and  promise 
to  let  you  criticise  my  future  efforts  ?  " 

She  took  his  extended  hand  frankly.  "  Everything 
begins  right  here."  She  gave  thanks  for  a  timely 
cloud's  momentary  obscuration  of  the  moon  as  he  laid 
his  lips  on  the  tiny  gauntlet.  Then  she  impulsively 
urged  her  horse  into  a  gallop,  and  before  the  moon  had 
emerged  from  behind  the  cloud,  they  had  crossed  the 


THE  PASSING  OE  A  CLOUD  89 

ridge  and  the  ranch  lights  twinkled  in  view  though  still 
a  good  five  miles  away. 

Up  on  the  hillside  above,  behind  a  bowlder  which 
commanded  in  easy  range  the  point  where  their  com 
pact  had  been  sealed,  a  man  lay  fumbling  a  rifle  and 
fluently  cursing  the  cloud  which  had  so  inopportunely 
spoiled  his  aim.  His  vicious  face  was  distorted  with 
rage  and  fury,  his  mouth  foaming  with  passion. 

"  Damn  you,"  he  raved,  shaking  his  clenched  fist  at 
the  offending  white  billow;  "I'd  got  him  if  you  had 
waited  a  second  longer  or  crossed  a  second  sooner. 
Everything  goes  against  me,  and  he's  got  all  the  luck. 
I'll  get  him  yet."  And  with  hideous  blasphemies  trick 
ling  from  his  thick  lips,  he  again  shook  his  fist  impo- 
tently  at  the  derisively  smiling  face  of  the  moon  an4 
slunk  away  to  the  horse  tied  in  the  shadows  behind 
him. 

In  blissful  ignorance  of  that  narrowly  averted  calam 
ity,  the  pair  on  the  other  side  of  the  ridge  rode  silently 
along  in  the  restored  moonlight.  The  woman  was  very 
happy  and  loth  to  break  the  spell;  the  man  whirling  in 
the  maelstrom  of  a  jumbled  introspection.  The  victim 
of  strongly  opposed  currents,  he  drifted  aimlessly  in 
the  sea  of  troubled  thought,  seeing  no  shore  and  seek 
ing  none.  Content  to  leave  much  to  Chance  and  more 
to  Opportunity,  he  had  hitherto  let  his  destiny  shape 
itself,  satisfied  with  merely  aiding  fate  to  the  best  of  his 
physical  ability  as  the  occasion  offered;  but  now  he  was 
conscious  of  a  growing  incitement  to  dictate  his  own  fu 
ture.  The  temptation  to  try  and  dominate  things  was 


90  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF. 

very  strong.  He  had  compelled  the  smaller  ones  to 
come  his  way  when  he  had  so  chosen,  why  not  the  greater 
ones.  He  glanced  covertly  at  the  woman  riding  by  his 
side;  in  the  soft  moonlight  she  was  very  fair. 

It  was  she  who  first  broke  the  silence,  her  words  un 
consciously  pandering  to  his  suddenly-formed  resolu 
tion. 

"  How  splendidly  you  ride,  Mr.  Douglass !  "  Her 
admiration  was  frank  and  sincere.  "  You  have  that 
horse  under  perfect  control,  and  yet,  if  I  am  not  mis 
taken,  he  is  the  worst  of  the  three  *  outlaws  '  which  all 
the  other  boys  have  declared  unridable.  Abbie  told 
me  this  morning  that  everybody  is  afraid  of  them." 

"  Abbie  tells  you  a  great  many  funny  things,  I 
reckon,"  he  said,  with  an  evasive  grin,  and  she  laughed 
reminiscently.  "  Well,  old  Highball  here  isn't  just 
what  you  might  call  love-inspiring,  and  the  boys  have 
kind  o'  passed  him  up ;  they  have  too  many  other  good 
gentle  horses  in  their  strings  to  justify  my  letting  them 
take  any  chances.  But  as  to  their  being  *  afraid '  of 
him,  why  that's  all  bosh.  Cowpunchers  who  are  afraid 
of  any  horse  don't  hold  their  jobs  long,  Miss  Carter." 

"  Yet  you,  yourself,  take  the  very  chances  that  you 
shield  your  men  from."  The  tone  was  severe  and  dis 
tinctly  reproachful,  albeit  her  heart  beat  with  an  un 
derstanding  pride.  He  shrugged  his  shoulders  depre- 
catingly. 

"  Well,  the  brutes  have  got  to  earn  their  keep,  and 
hay  is  high  this  year." 

"  Yes,  about  two  inches,  on  that  part  of  the  public 
domain  where  this  particular  brute  ranges,"  she  said 


THE  PASSING  OF  A  CLOUD  91 

scornfully.  "  He  has  not  been  in  the  corrals  for  over 
two  years,  as  I  happen  to  know.  I  believe  you  over 
heard  what  Abbie  said,  and  are  riding  him  out  of  sheer 
perversity.  You  don't  like  to  be  thought  afraid,  do 
you?" 

"  No,  ma'am,"  he  said,  so  humbly  that  she  laughed 
despite  her  resolve.  Then,  with  a  sudden  burst  of  con 
fidence,  "  You  see,  he  threw  me  last  week  and  kind  o* 
upset  my  conceit,  and  it's  been  on  my  conscience  ever 
since.  We  just  had  to  come  to  some  definite  conclu 
sion  as  to  who  is  bossing  this  job.  He's  going  to  be  a 
good  horse  now." 

"  Now,  as  to  hating  being  thought  afraid,"  he  went 
on  after  a  short  silence,  "  I  guess  every  man  thinks  that 
way.  And  yet  there  is  something  that  every  man  fears, 
that  he  is  more  or  less  afraid  of,  if  he  is  only  honest 
enough  to  admit  it." 

"  And  what  are  you  afraid  of?  "  There  was  much 
of  incredulity  and  more  of  curiosity  in  her  audacious- 
question. 

"  Myself."  He  answered  quietly;  she  was  very 
sorry  she  had  asked. 

Just  as  they  reached  the  main  gate  they  were  joined 
by  Red  McVey;  who  rode  up  from  the  opposite  direc 
tion.  He  was  riding  another  of  the  "  outlaws  "  and 
Douglass  noted  that  fact  with  a  certain  displeasure ;  his 
orders  had  been  explicit  about  those  horses.  Red  non 
chalantly  drawled  an  explanation : 

"We  didn't  expect  yuh  back  to-night;  Miss  Wil- 
li'ms  said  yuh  would  stay  oveh  in  Tin  Cup.  Bud 
Vaughan  was  oveh  to-day  and  said  as  how  Miss  Nellie 


92  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLE 

was  sick,  so  Miss  Willi'ms  allows  she'd  go  oveh  an' 
sit  with  her  to-night.  I'll  tell  yuh  about  the  hoss 
lateh,"  he  concluded  in  an  undertone  to  Douglass, 
whose  look  of  keen  inquiry  changed  to  one  of  concern 
at  Grace's  irrepressible  exclamation. 

"  What  is  it?  "  His  words  were  sharp  and  impera 
tive.  She  was  pale,  but  perfectly  composed.  Then/ 
for  the  first  time  in  her  life  she  deliberately  lied:  "  The 
horse  crushed  my  hand  against  the  gate;  a  mere  trifle, 
but  it  startled  me." 

"What  are  we  going  to  do  for  something  to  eat?  " 
she  said  in  pretended  dismay.  "  I'm  as  hungry  as 


a  — a—" 


"Tom-tit?"  suggested  Red  drolly;  she  had,  much 
to  his  abashment,  once  caught  him  feeding  one  with 
crumbs  of  cake,  embellishing  his  service  with  profanely 
quaint  ejaculations  of  delight. 

"  As  a  wolf,"  she  averred  decidedly,  "  and  I  haven't 
tried  to  cook  since  I  was  a  little  girl." 

"  Oh,  that'll  be  all  right,"  said  Douglass  cheerfully. 
"  Red,  here,  is  a  wonder  at  making  angel  cake,  and  I 
can  boil  water  without  burning  it,  at  a  pinch.  If  you 
can  stand  camp  chuck  for  once  we'll  make  out  to  take 
the  wire  edge  off  your  appetite,  anyway." 

"  Oh,  I've  et,"  said  Red  hurriedly,  the  reference  to 
that  angel  cake  filling  him  with  apprehension.  "  Had 
supper  oveh  to  Vaughan's.  You  two  go  to  wras'lin' 
yuh  grub  an'  I'll  take  keer  o'  yuah  bosses." 

"  Doan't  yuh  let  him  scoach  thet  wateh,  Miss  Cah- 
teh,"  he  volleyed  as  he  retreated  in  good  order,  much 


THE  PASSING  OF  A  CLOUD  ,          93 

relieved  at  his  narrow  escape.  "  He's  a  powahful 
wahm  baby." 

While  she  was  changing  her  dress,  Douglass  got  a 
fire  going  in  the  big  Charter  Oak  stove  and  filled  the 
kettle  with  fresh  water  from  the  spring.  He  brought 
over  from  the  meat  dive  a  generously  big  and  tender 
steak  and  fossicked  about  in  the  pantry  until  he  found 
the  egg  basket.  There  were  a  couple  of  tempting  broil 
ers  lying  on  a  platter,  but  he  concluded  that  Abbie  had 
prepared  these  with  a  view  to  Miss  Carter's  breakfast. 
He  was  grinding  the  coffee  when  she  came  in  and  she 
sniffed  the  grateful  aroma  rapturously. 

She  was  very  simply  attired  in  a  loose-fitting  white 
dress  with  short  sleeves,  and  about  her  slender  waist  was 
tied  one  of  Abbie's  huge  gingham  aprons.  Her  riding 
Hessians  had  been  replaced  with  a  pair  of  diminutive 
sandals  which  made  a  clicking  little  patter  as  she  walked. 
He  had  unconsciously  rolled  up  his  sleeves,  camp-cook 
fashion,  the  better  to  mix  and  mold  the  biscuit  he  con 
templated  making;  the  sight  of  her  bare  arms  reminded 
him  of  his  own  and  he  hurriedly  lowered  the  sleeves 
and  began  fumbling  at  the  buttons.  She  came  forward 
quickly  and  checked  him  with  a  pretty  gesture. 

"  Put  them  up  again !  Men  always  work  better  with 
their  sleeves  rolled  up,  I  have  noticed,  and  all  good 
cooks  have  them  so.  That's  why  I  am  wearing  this 
waist;  I  am  going  to  help."  She  looked  complacently 
at  her  round,  dimpled  arms,  then  at  the  corded  brawn 
of  his.  An  irresistible  impulse  sent  her  close  to  his  side. 
"  Why,"  she  said,  with  a  fine  assumption  of  wonder  at 


94  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

the  portentous  discovery,  "  my  arms  are  tanned  as 
brown  as  yours."  And  she  coquettishly  held  hers  so 
close  to  his  in  comparison  that  they  momentarily 
touched. 

Through  his  veins  there  leaped  a  sudden  fire  as 
though  his  blood  had  turned  to  molten  lava;  he  trem 
bled.  Stricken  with  a  sudden  terror  she  shrank  away 
slightly,  but  her  eyes  never  left  his.  The  man  was  try 
ing  for  self-control,  and  she  wisely  waited.  The  best 
time  to  play  with  fire  is  not  when  the  coals  are  hottest. 

"  You,  too,  hate  to  be  thought  afraid."  It  was 
hardly  more  than  a  whisper.  "  And  your  arms  are 
very  beautiful."  Holding  her  wrists  very  carefully, 
yet  with  a  grip  of  steel,  he  bent  forward  and  deliber 
ately  kissed  each  arm  in  the  dimpling  hollows.  Then 
he  gently  released  them,  and  turned  once  more  to  his 
coffee  grinding. 

So  wise  a  man  as  Solomon  declared,  centuries  ago, 
that  the  way  of  a  man  with  a  maid  was  beyond  even 
his  great  understanding;  but  the  composite  intelligence 
of  all  the  wise  men  that  ever  were  or  ever  will  be  cre 
ated  cannot  elucidate  the  greater  mystery  of  the  ways  of 
a  maid  with  a  man.  By  all  accepted  rules  and  conven 
tions,  Miss  Carter  should  have  ostentatiously  wiped  her 
arms  with  a  lace  handkerchief,  extravagantly  casting  it 
aside  later  with  an  air  of  loathing  and  disgust,  and 
stalked  out  of  the  room  with  superior  dignity  without 
deigning  him  even  a  contemptuous  glance.  She  did 
nothing  of  the  kind.  She  merely  laughed,  a  silvery, 
tinkling,  infectious  little  ripple  whose  contagion  was 


THE  PASSING  OF  A  CLOUD  95 

irresistible,  and  at  his  responsive  grin  the  atmosphere 
cleared  instantly. 

Her  eyes  fell  upon  the  basket  of  eggs  and  she  had  a 
sudden  inspiration :  "  I  am  going  to  make  waffles. 
Now  if  we  could  only  achieve  the  regulation  fried 
chicken  to  go  with  it  we  should  dine  ideally." 

"  There  are  two  in  the  pantry,  ready  to  your  hand," 
he  replied  eagerly.  She  ran  out  excitedly,  as  if  to 
verify  the  good  news;  but  once  in  the  seclusion  of  the 
pantry  her  interest  in  the  broilers  moderated  unac 
countably.  She  seemed  more  concerned  with  the  hol 
lows  of  her  arms  and  in  her  rapt  inspection  of  them 
held  them  singularly  close  to  her  face.  Her  cheeks 
were  engagingly  flushed  and  her  lips  moist  when  she 
bore  the  fowls  into  the  kitchen. 

Douglass  was  inclined  to  be  patronizing  as  she  sat 
about  her  waffle-building;  what  could  this  pampered 
society  pet  possibly  know  about  the  plebeian  craft  of 
cookery?  But  his  indulgence  quickly  changed  to  sur 
prised  admiration  as  he  watched  her  deft  manipula 
tions. 

"  How  long  has  it  been  since  you  were  a  little  girl?  " 

She  smiled  her  quick  delight  at  the  implied  compli 
ment.  "Oh,  waffles  are  easy;  Dad  always  insisted  on 
my  making  them  for  him  and  I  had  considerable  experi 
ence,  and  one  does  not  exactly  forget  little  things  like 
that.  How  long  has  it  been  since  you  were  a  little 
boy?  " 

"  I  am  one  to-night,"  he  averred,  dextrously  filching 
the  first  golden-brown  disc  as  she  laid  it  on  the  plate; 


96  THE  SONG  OE  THE  WOLF 

as  he  danced  about  trying  to  bolt  the  hot  dainty  she 
rapped  him  on  the  head  reprovingly  with  the  huge 
spoon  and  they  laughed  with  all  the  light-heartedness 
of  the  foolish  children  they  really  were. 

It  was  a  memorable  meal  that  they  finally  sat  down 
to,  and  neither  of  them  ever  forgot  it.  Sitting  oppo 
site  to  her  in  that  comfortable  old  kitchen  —  he  had 
begged  the  privilege  of  eating  there  instead  of  in  the 
more  formal  dining-room  —  the  man's  heart  was  filling 
with  a  subtle  consciousness  that  it  would  be  very  pleas 
ant  to  have  her  sit  so  always  throughout  the  days  to 
come.  It  came  to  him  with  a  certain  shock,  neverthe 
less;  in  all  his  former  associations  with  women,  his  emo 
tions  had  been  of  a  distinctly  different  nature,  and 
somehow  the  recollection  of  them  was  not  pleasing. 
He  even  felt  a  certain  angry  resentment  of  the  insidious 
charm  of  the  comforting  domesticity  of  his  surround 
ings.  What  right  had  an  indigent  pauper  of  a  cow- 
puncher  to  aspire  to  a  heaven  like  this?  It  was  only 
to  her  natural  gentleness,  her  inherent  graciousness,  pos 
sibly  only  to  a  passing  indulgent  whim,  that  he  was  in 
debted  for  the  favor  she  was  showing.  What  had  he, 
who  would  be  penniless  in  another  month  —  for  he  still 
stubbornly  adhered  to  his  determination  to  recoup  his 
employer  —  to  offer  the  mistress  of  the  C  Bar  with  its 
broad  acres  and  "  cattle  on  a  thousand  hills  "  ?  All 
incredible  as  it  may  seem  he  actually  forgot  for  the  mo 
ment  that  he  had,  unreproved,  kissed  her  arms  a  short 
half-hour  before.  It  simply  strengthened  his  resolu 
tion  to  get  away  from  an  environment  provocative  of 
such  disturbing  reflections. 


THE  PASSING  OF  A  CLOUD  97 

The  woman  was  thinking  how  big  and  brave  and 
strong  he  was,  and  how  integral  a  part  of  —  how  en 
tirely  he  belonged  in  the  plan  of  her  cogitations.  She 
could  imagine  him  always  sitting  there,  a  bulwark  be 
tween  her  and  the  evils  of  life,  and  she  was  very  happy. 
She  realized  how  it  would  take  time  and  diplomacy  to 
leash  this  untamed  tiger,  to  bring  into  leading-strings 
this  unbound  Sampson  who  foolishly  deemed  that  the 
sum  of  Life  was  Delilah;  but  she  was  the  daughter  of 
"  the  bravest  man  God  ever  made,"  and  this  was  her 
Man.  She  knew  it  now  beyond  the  peradventure  of  a 
doubt,  and  looking  at  him  as  he  sat  there  in  all  his  manly 
beauty,  she  thanked  God  for  it. 

His  hand,  outstretched  toward  the  waffles,  encoun 
tered  hers,  and  he  paled. 

It  was  very  still  and  quiet  in  the  room ;  even  the  little 
alarm  clock  on  the  mantelpiece,  unwound  for  once,  lack 
ing  Abbie's  careful  hand,  was  silent.  He  arose  with 
cruel  deliberation  and  walked  around  the  table  toward 
her;  she  met  him  half  way,  all  composure  now,  her 
hand  extended.  The  antelope  kid,  with  a  comical  yawn, 
came  and  stood  between  them. 

"  I  am  so  grateful  for  your  many  kindnesses  to  me 
to-day,"  she  said  steadily,  her  eyes  calm  and  unwaver 
ing.  "  I  am  more  fatigued  than  I  thought.  Good 
night  —  and  pleasant  dreams." 

The  kid  butted  him  playfully  as  though  to  recall  him 
to  earth  again;  he  had  stood  such  an  unconscionable 
time  holding  her  hand.  The  woman  smiled  on  him 
kindly  again,  and  instantly  he  relinquished  it. 

"  Good  night,"  he  said  dully,  his  face  the  color  of 


98  THE  SONG  OF  THE  .WOLF 

copper.  He  went  to  the  sofa  where  he  had  left  his 
hat  and  holster  and  fumbled  a  while  uncertainly.  He 
took  up  the  Stetson,  leaving  the  weapon  untouched. 
At  the  door  he  turned  mechanically. 

"Good  night,"  he  mumbled;  "  good  night.  And 
may  you  have  no  dreams  at  all.'* 

The  antelope  butted  him  again,  scornfully,  as  he 
passed  out 

Grace  Carter  stood  for  a  moment  in  silent  medita 
tion.  Then  she  went  to  the  sofa  and  drew  the  Colt 
from  its  sheath.  With  the  weapon  in  her  hand  she 
extinguished  the  light  and  went  into  her  bedroom,  lock 
ing  the  door  behind  her. 

When  she  had  finished  disrobing  she  laid  the  weapon 
on  her  reading  stand  within  reach  of  her  hand  when 
abed.  For  a  while  she  lay  very  quiet,  open-eyed ;  then 
she  arose,  unlocked  her  door  and  replaced  the  revolver 
in  its  sheath,  leaving  both  lying  where  he  had  tossed 
them. 

Over  at  the  bunkhouse  Douglass  stood  glaring  at  the 
imperturbable  Red.  "  I  thought,"  said  he  ominously, 
"  that  my  orders  were  that  nobody  should  ride  those 
outlaws." 

McVey,  having  finished  the  cigarette  he  was  rolling, 
gave  it  a  final  lick  with  his  tongue,  twisted  the  ends 
adroitly,  struck  a  match,  and  between  tentative  puffs, 
remarked : 

"  When  they's  nothing  left  in  thu  corral  but  one 
hoss  I  reckon  it's  ride  thet  er  go  afoot.  When  I  got 
back  from  Vaughan's  this  evenin'  I  found  thu  pastur1 
bars  down  an'  everything  stompeded  but  thet  buckskin 


THE  PASSING  OF  A  CLOUD  99 

outlaw.  Reckon  he  were  too  or'nary  to  trail  with  thu 
bunch  an'  cut  hisself  out;  ketched  him  in  thu  cow  pad 
dock." 

Douglass  carefully  selected  a  cigarette  paper  and 
reached  for  the  tobacco  pouch.  The  hand  that  held 
the  lighting  match  was  very  steady. 

"  How  do  you  size  it  up,  Red?  " 

"  Matlock,"  said  the  other,  tersely.  "  Thu  bars 
were  not  only  down,  but  dragged  away  more'n  a  rod. 
It  were  one  man  thet  done  it  —  his  boss  shod  all  around 
'ceptin'  left  hind  foot.  'Twere  too  dark  to  track  after 
I  lost  him  in  thu  timber,  but  the  whole  cavvy  is  scattered 
to  hell  an'  gone.  Say,  Ken,  I'm  goin'  to  rue  back  on 
that  promise;  an'  I  don't  see  as  it's  eggsactly  fair  on 
the  other  boys,  either.  S'posen  sum  of  us  was  to  meet 
up  with  that  skunk  accidental:  are  we  to  let  him  slip 
jest  because  yuh  don't  happen  to  be  cavortin'  around 
conteegious?  I,  fer  one,  won't,  an'  right  here  I  gives 
yuh  notice." 

"  Besides,"  he  drawled  softly,  "  I've  got  a  privut 
grutch  agin  him  of  my  own,  an'  I'm  goin'  to  beat  yuh  to 
it  if  I  kin." 

The  other  shook  his  head  deprecatingly.  "  Don't 
do  anything  rash,  Red.  I  preempted  that  right  first. 
And  my  claim's  been  bearing  interest  ever  since." 


CHAPTER  IX 
IN  PART  PAYMENT 

THE  temporary  loss  of  the  horses  was  a  twofold 
source  of  irritation  to  Douglass.  They  had  been  gath 
ered  with  much  labor  for  the  forthcoming  round-up  and 
that  work  would  all  have  to  be  done  over  again  at  quite 
an  expenditure  of  time,  patience  and  money;  for  this 
he  deemed  himself  also  responsible,  and  it  added  ma 
terially  to  the  already  large  pecuniary  obligation  which 
he  had  assumed. 

Then,  he  also  regarded  the  malicious  scattering  of 
his  horses  as  a  stigma  on  his  care  and  watchfulness  of 
his  employer's  interests,  as  well  as  a  personal  affront 
and  challenge  to  himself.  It  would  be  a  sorry  reflec 
tion  on  his  professional  ability,  as  well  as  on  his  courage, 
and  he  writhed  in  the  shock  to  his  really  abnormal 
vanity.  By  established  code  he  should  have  "got" 
Matlock  long  ago;  and  now  he  would  have  to  defer 
the  wiping  out  of  that  blot  on  his  escutcheon  until  after 
the  season's  work  was  over.  In  the  cold  fury  of  his 
bitter  self-revilement,  he  actually  forgot  the  woman  who 
had  stirred  his  blood  almost  as  strongly  a  short  half- 
hour  ago. 

The  mischief  had  been  made  possible  only  by  the  fact 
that  the  day  after  the  horse  round-up  was  ended  he  had 
indulgently  granted  a  four  days'  leave  of  absence  to 

100 


IN  PART  PAYMENT  101 

his  entire  force,  exc'epting  only  McVey,  who  had  pro 
fessed  a  lack  of  interest,  to  enable  them  to  participate  in 
a  roping  and  riding  tournament  over  in  South  Park. 
His  own  and  Red's  temporary  absence  to-day  had  given 
the  perpetrator,  of  whose  identity  he  had  not  even  a 
momentary  doubt,  the  chance  to  do  the  contemptible 
trick,  the  undoing  of  which  would  take  a  whole  week's 
furious  work  with  the  entailed  strain  on  both  men  and 
horses.  His  provocation  was  very  great. 

The  next  day,  working  over  the  ground,  he  found  the 
freshly-cast  shoe  of  the  marauder's  mount;  it  was  a  p&- 
culiarly  constructed  "  blind-bar  "  affair,  and  Matlock's 
horse,  his  own  private  property,  taken  with  him  when 
he  left  the  ranch,  had  a  bad  frog  on  his  left  hind  hoof. 
His  conviction  was  made  a  certainty  later  when  the 
blacksmith  at  Gunnison  identified  the  shoe  as  one  that 
he  had  made  for  and  attached  to  the  left  hind  foot  of 
the  deposed  foreman's  horse.  The  chain  of  evidence 
was  complete  and  conclusive. 

By  a  rare  bit  of  good  fortune  he  discovered  quite  a 
large  band  of  his  best  horses  quietly  feeding  in  a  little 
valley  some  three  miles  from  the  house,  and  he  quickly 
returned  to  the  ranch,  where  he  discussed  with  Red  the 
likelihood  of  their  being  able  to  corral  it;  it  was  a  big 
contract  for  two  men,  this  particular  band  being  a  no 
toriously  wild  one  and  hard  to  handle,  and  now  the  ani 
mals  would  especially  resent  a  return  to  durance  vile 
after  their  previous  week's  confinement.  But  it  meant 
an  indispensable  factor  to  the  ultimate  recovery  of  the 
other  horses,  without  which,  the  outfit  would  be  prac 
tically  afoot.  Red  was  logically  pessimistic. 


102  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

"  Three  might  do  it,  but  two  ain't  got  any  more 
chanct  than  a  snowball  in  hell,"  was  his  opinion,  and 
Douglass  knew  that  he  was  right.  It  had  taken  four 
of  his  best  riders  to  turn  the  trick  a  week  before.  But 
the  other  men  were  absolutely  unavailable  and  long  be 
fore  their  earliest  possible  return  this  band  of  horses 
would  be  off  to  their  favorite  range  twenty  miles  or 
more  away. 

He  determined  to  take  a  chance,  saying  hopefully, 
"  Well,  we  might  be  able  to  corral  a  part  of  them,  any 
way,  and  that  would  give  us  a  few  to  work  with." 

Miss  Carter,  coming  to  summon  them  to  breakfast, 
was  made  acquainted  with  the  dilemma.  "  Can  I  be  of 
any  help?  "  she  asked  instantly.  "  I  can  ride  fairly  well, 
and  under  your  instructions  may  really  be  of  some  as 
sistance." 

Douglass  looked  at  Red  doubtfully,  but  that  worthy 
was  for  some  inscrutable  reason,  enthusiastically  san 
guine.  "  Why,  shore  yuh  kin !  Yuah  bosses  wa'nt 
done  up  any  to  speak  of  by  yuah  pasear  yiste'day,  an* 
the  buckskin  is  fresh.  That  bunch  is  ourn." 

"  Oh,  I  am  so  glad,"  she  cried  eagerly.  "  I'll  be 
ready  before  you  get  saddled  up." 

She  was  flushed  with  excitement  as  they  slowly  can 
tered  out,  but  paid  careful  attention  to  Douglass's  mi 
nutely  detailed  instructions  as  he  outlined  his  plan  of 
campaign.  Red  looking  admiringly  at  her  skillful 
handling  of  the  rangy  roan  gelding,  the  kindling  eyes 
and  firmly  compressed  lips,  decided  that  she  would 
"  make  good."  He  remarked  as  much  to  Douglass, 


IN  PART  PAYMENT  103 

who  nodded  his  conviction  and  said  a  word  or  two  of 
caution  in  an  undertone : 

"  If  they  break  back  at  the  corral,  see  that  she  isn't 
in  the  way  of  the  big  blue;  you  know  his  trick.  If 
there  should  be  any  danger,  shoot  quick  and  straight.'* 

To  Grace  he  said  with  frank  admonition :  "  The 
leader  of  this  bunch  is  a  big  blue  stallion  which  has  a 
nasty  habit  of  whirling  about  just  as  he  touches  the 
corral  gate;  he  will  run  over  anything  that  opposes  him 
when  he  breaks  back,  and  if  he  tries  it  to-day,  ride  to 
one  side  as  fast  as  you  can.  Don't  try  to  stop  him  in 
any  event.  You  understand?  " 

She  merely  nodded,  her  lips  closing  a  bit  more 
tightly.  Then  she  smiled  a  protest:  "  Please  don't  try 
to  *  buffalo  'me  —  I  think  that  is  the  proper  word?  — 
at  the  outset.  This  is  my  first  round-up,  you  know. 
I'll  t  make  good,'  as  Mr.  McVey  said  a  while  ago." 

Both  men  laughed  heartily.  "  Red's  whisper  is  a 
little  stertorous,"  admitted  Douglass,  "  but  you  remem 
ber  what  I  say:  fight  shy  of  the  blue  if  he  breaks." 
Down  in  his  heart  he  knew  that  this  woman  would 
surely  "  make  good "  in  anything  she  attempted,  but 
nevertheless,  he  saw  to  it  that  the  revolver  slid  easily 
and  without  a  hitch  in  the  holster,  and  loosened  up  a 
few  cartridges  in  his  belt.  Red  had  already  taken  that 
precaution. 

They  circled  the  bunch  without  alarming  it  and  with 
comparative  ease  started  it  corralwards,  the  leader 
proving  unusually  tractable  for  the  nonce.  Her  roan 
was  no  novice  at  the  business  and  covered  his  assigned 


io4  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

arc  as  gracefully  as  a  swallow,  to  the  great  delight  of 
the  young  woman  who  was  reveling  in  the  pleasure  of 
a  new  sensation.  She  wisely  gave  the  horse  his  head, 
and  the  intelligent  beast  repaid  her  good  judgment  by 
cleverly  heading  off  every  straggler  who  essayed  to 
dodge  back  to  liberty.  She  was  really  proving  of  de 
cided  assistance  and  Red  waved  her  a  cordial  encourage 
ment  from  the  left  flank. 

The  horses  were  bunched  closely  together  as  they 
neared  the  corral  gate,  the  leader  trotting  easily  and 
with  apparently  no  concern,  directly  towards  the  en 
trance.  He  was  seemingly  resigned  to  the  inevitable 
and  the  riders  closed  in  sharply  to  urge  them  through. 
Grace  was  much  elated  over  her  successful  debut  and 
gave  a  little  exultant  shout  as  the  massive  head  and 
shoulders  of  the  blue  stallion  were  momentarily  framed 
in  the  opening.  She  was  inclined  to  be  contemptuous 
of  the  ease  with  which  it  had  been  accomplished,  and  in 
the  relief  of  the  thought  dropped  her  rein  loosely  on  the 
roan's  neck.  At  that  exact  moment  the  cunning  beast 
in  the  gateway  whirled  like  a  flash,  lowered  his  head 
like  a  snake,  and  darted  back  through  the  plunging 
throng  which  opened  before  him  as  a  dry  pine  butt  splits 
to  a  stoutly  driven  wedge. 

Owing  to  the  dense  smother  of  dust  about  the  gate 
way,  and  the  further  fact  that  the  bunch,  not  missing 
their  leader  in  its  enveloping  clouds,  were  crowding 
through  the  opening  into  the  corral,  neither  of  the  men 
noted  the  maneuver  of  the  stallion  until  he  broke  out 
of  the  press,  heading  obliquely  to  one  side,  between 
Douglass  and  Miss  Carter. 


IN  PART  PAYMENT  105 

Then  was  she  conscious  of  a  hoarse  cry  that  rang  like 
the  roar  of  an  anguished  lion  above  the  din  of  trampling 
feet: 

"To  the  left!  Get  out  of  his  way,  for  Christ's 
sake!  To  the  left!" 

Out  of  the  dust  blur,  an  animated  lead-blue  bullet, 
shot  the  great  stallion,  his  head  held  low,  his  body  ex 
tended  until  his  stomach  brushed  the  sagebrush  beneath. 
The  roan,  taking  the  bit  between  his  teeth,  turned  as  on 
a  pivot,  almost  unseating  his  rider,  and  raced  undirected 
towards  the  exact  point  where  the  escaping  animal  could 
be  best  intercepted,  intent  only  on  the  well-understood 
work  which  was  logically  his  duty.  It  was  his  business 
to  head  off  and  turn  back  the  fugitive,  and,  unchecked 
by  his  helpless  rider,  who  clung  fearfully  to  her  saddle- 
horn  in  her  extremity,  he  ran  the  race  of  his  life,  put 
ting  his  whole  heart  into  the  work,  her  light  weight 
hampering  him  almost  negligibly. 

The  point  of  intersection  was  at  least  five  hundred 
yards  away,  the  horses  racing  along  the  converging 
sides  of  an  obtuse  angle,  the  roan  some  hundred  yards 
in  the  lead;  the  point  of  convergence  was  just  below  the 
brow  of  a  little  hill,  and  the  roan,  running  in  open 
ground,  had  the  advantage  of  the  blue  who  was  im 
peded  by  the  thick  sagebrush ;  he  gained  rapidly,  chang 
ing  the  locus  of  intersection  thereby,  and  finally  swung 
at  right  angles  across  the  stallion's  course. 

Grace  had  been  vaguely  conscious  of  a  crackle  of 
pistol  shots  and  a  confused  roar  of  profanely  phrased 
implorations,  but  all  her  energies  were  concentrated 
to  the  end  of  keeping  her  seat  on  that  plunging  roan 


io6  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF. 

thunderbolt,  whose  speed  was  accelerated  by  the  lashing 
reins  which,  dropping  from  her  nerveless  hand,  were 
now  flapping  against  his  sides.  Swinging  in  a  beautiful 
arc  of  exactly  the  correct  radius,  the  roan  headed  the 
blue  in  triumph,  his  legs  stiffening  as  he  crossed  the  lat- 
ter's  course,  his  hoofs  tearing  up  the  thin  turf  in  a  fifty- 
foot  furrow  as  he  essayed  a  turn  in  order  to  forestall 
any  side  divergence  of  the  stallion.  But  the  blue  streak 
swerved  not  one  iota. 

With  ears  flattened  against  his  head,  eyes  green  with 
malignity  and  pain,  lips  curled  back  and  teeth  bared  to 
the  gums,  he  charged  directly  at  the  unbalanced  roan, 
squealing  fiendishly  as  he  came.  The  gallant  gelding 
floundered  ineffectually  for  a  footing,  fell  directly  in 
the  path  of  the  infuriated  beast,  and  threw  his  rider  over 
his  head. 

Though  dazed  by  her  violent  contact  with  the  hard 
ground,  Grace  instinctively  struggled  to  her  knees,  rais 
ing  one  hand  as  if  to  ward  off  that  impending  horror; 
twenty  yards  away  the  thudding  hoofs  beat  on  her  ear 
drums  like  a  funeral  knell,  her  lips  parted  in  a  sound 
less  gasp,  then  faintly  as  from  a  far  distance  she  heard 
a  dull  concussion,  felt  a  crushing  blow,  and  lost  con 
sciousness. 

When  her  eyes  opened  again  they  were  in  close  jux 
taposition  to  a  rough  tan-colored  shirt  whose  coarse 
fiber  rasped  her  cheek;  the  whole  universe  seemed  rock 
ing  with  a  gentle  up  and  down  motion  as  soothing  as 
the  swing  of  her  beloved  hammock,  but  there  was  a 
curious  numbness  across  her  chest  and  lower  limbs  like 
that  induced  by  the  pressure  of  closely-encircling  iron 


IN  PART  PAYMENT  107 

bands.  Gradually  it  dawned  upon  her  that  she  was  in 
the  arms  of  a  man  who,  carrying  her  weight  with  per 
ceptibly  no  effort,  was  running  swiftly  towards  the 
house.  One  little  shy  upward  glance  completed  her  in 
ventory;  she  deliberately  closed  her  eyes  and  cuddled 
closer,  so  close  that  she  could  distinctly  hear  and  count 
the  strong  heartbeats  against  her  temple.  Nor  did  she 
open  them  again  until  he  had  lain  her  on  a  sofa  in  the 
living  room  and  bent  solicitously  over  her. 

"  Thank  God !  "  The  relief  in  his  voice  was  some 
how  very  sweet  to  her.  "  I  was  afraid  —  tell  me,  are 
you  hurt?  " 

"  Only  frightened,  I  think."  The  tone  was  effect 
ively  languid  and  hesitating;  she  was  loth  to  dissipate 
the  tender  concern  in  his  eyes.  "  But  oh,  the  horror 
of  it.  I  can  scarcely  realize  that  I  am  alive.  Death 
seemed  so  close."  She  hid  her  face,  shudderingly. 
"Was  the  horse  killed?" 

"  The  blue  was,"  for  some  reason  avoiding  her 
glance,  "  but  the  roan  is  all  right.  You  had  a  very 
close  call.  Why  did  you  try  to  head  him?  " 

"  Don't  scold  me,  please !  "  she  pleaded.  "  I  could 
not  help  it ;  he  bolted  when  the  other  horse  broke  away 
and  I  lost  my  reins.  I  had  no  control  over  him,  what 
ever.  How  did  I  get  here  ?  "  The  question  was  a 
marvel  of  innocent  nescience.  And  how  could  he  know 
that  her  heart  was  beating  even  more  furiously  than 
his  as  he  had  held  her  close  for  those  five  blissful  min 
utes. 

"  I  carried  you,"  he  said,  simply.  "  There  was  no 
other  way.  Are  you  quite  sure  that  you  are  not  in- 


io8  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

jured?  That  brute's  head  was  lying  on  your  shoulder 
when  I  picked  you  up.  He  must  have  struck  you  as  he 
fell." 

"  I  do  feel  sorely  bruised,"  tentatively  rubbing  her 
side,  "  but  I  am  certain  that  is  all."  She  arose  and 
walked  lamely  across  the  room  in  confirmation,  then 
came  back  and  sat  down  on  the  sofa.  "  How  silly  of 
me  to  faint !  And  how  kind  of  you  to  take  such  care 
of  me !  Was  I  very  heavy?  " 

"  IVe  carried  heavier  women,"  he  said,  unthinkingly, 
and  could  have  bitten  his  tongue  off  in  instant  chagrin 
at  his  unfortunate  slip.  "  You  see,"  he  said  with  forced 
attempt  at  humor,  "  I  make  a  business  of  rescuing 
young  damsels  in  distress  and  carrying  them  off  to 
places  of  safety." 

.  "  Really !  How  romantic !  "  hiding  her  sudden  bitter 
anger  under  the  mask  of  persiflage.  "  I  assume  they  all 
came  through  their  difficulties  as  happily  as  I  ?  " 

"  I  can't  remember  any  of  them  dying,"  he  said 
caustically;  then  with  deliberate  malice:  "None  of 
them  even  pretended  to  faint." 

The  evil  bolt,  although  all  unwittingly  shot,  came 
close  home  and  she  could  have  struck  him  in  her  shame 
and  fury.  How  much  did  he  know  ?  And  how  dared 
he  couple  her  with  those  nameless  creatures!  Taken 
at  a  disadvantage,  the  retort  courteous  failed  her  for 
once,  and  she  was  devoutly  glad  for  the  timely  inter 
vention  of  Red,  who  thrust  his  carroty  shock  into  the 
door  at  that  moment. 

"  Miss  Cahtah,"  he  said  with  solemn  gravity.  "  I'm 
almighty  glad  yuh  ain't  daid !  "  At  her  reassuring 


IN  PART  PAYMENT  109 

laugh  of  relief  he  added  admiringly:  "  Yuh  suttinly 
are  quick  on  yuh  feets,  ma'am !  Thet  hoss  was  goin' 
some  when  yuh  was  standin'  on  yuah  haid  I  "  He  had 
been  quick  to  appreciate  the  strain  she  was  laboring 
under  and  Red's  panacea  for  any  suffering  was  to  make 
fun  of  it.  She  laughed  again,  a  bit  hysterically. 

"  Did  I  look  particularly  ridiculous?  " 

Red's  protest  was  suspiciously  grave :  "  Ridic'- 
lous!  suttinly  not,  ma'am.  Yuh  looked  just  like  a 
angel,  floppin'  hes  wings  —  upside  down." 

They  all  shouted  at  that,  their  hilarity  exciting  the 
antelope  kid  into  a  rear  charge  upon  Red,  who  used  the 
incident  to  cover  his  retreat  He  turned  at  the  door 
to  impart  some  good  news. 

"  We've  got  the  whole  bunch  corralled.  Reckon  thu 
shootin'  an'  yellin'  you  done,  Ken,  scared  'em  in.  I 
got  thu  bars  up  befoh  I  missed  thu  blue;  fact  is  I  didn't 
see  him  break,  thu  dust  were  so  thick." 

A  minute  later  he  returned  with  the  additional  good 
tidings  that  Abbie  was  in  sight;  ten  minutes  more  and 
he  strode  into  the  room,  bearing  in  his  arms  a  strug 
gling,  scratching,  scolding  burden  which  he  deposited 
with  much  aplomb  on  the  sofa  besides  Miss  Carter. 

"  Reckon  I'm  some  pumpkins  on  thu  carry,  mah- 
self !  "  he  said  with  much  unction,  grinning  at  the 
scandalized  Abbie,  who  was  quaintly  anathematizing 
him.  "  No  use  yuh  yowlin',  Miss  Abbie.  The  fash 
ion's  been  sot  an'  yuh  cloth  is  cut.  But  yuh  shore  got 
to  gentle  up  a  heap  or  Ken,  yeah,  will  hev  to  do  thu 


totin'." 


Quick  as  a  flash  the  old  woman's  arms  went  around 


no  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

Grace  and  the  fair  head  was  pillowed  upon  her  bosom. 

"  What  is  it,  honey?  "  she  cooed,  gently  stroking  the 
silken  hair  and  entirely  ignoring  the  men.  The  tensely 
strung  nerves  gave  way  and  in  the  reaction  the  tears 
were  softly  welling.  The  two  cowpunchers  sneaked 
out  sheepishly  and  once  out  of  hearing,  Red  swore  won- 
deringly. 

"  Well,  I'm  damned !  Never  peeped  till  it  was  all 
over  with,  and  then  clapped  on  the  water-works. 
Wouldn't  that  bust  yuah  cinche !  " 

Douglass  smiled  but  said  nothing.  Actuated  by  a 
common  impulse,  both  men  mounted  their  horses  and 
rode  over  to  where  the  blue  stallion  lay  doubled  up  in 
a  thickening  pool  of  scarlet.  Dismounting,  they  gave 
the  dead  beast  a  critical  examination. 

"  Good  shootin' !  "  said  Red,  touching  approvingly 
six  blue-black  blots  on  the  muscular  hip  that  could  be 
covered  with  the  open  palm;  "  but  the  range  were  too 
far  —  over  two  hundred,  I  reckon  —  and  they  had  lost 
their  force.  Stern  on  all  thu  time,  wa'nt  he  ?  " 

Douglass  nodded.  "  I  tried  to  break  his  hip  but  the 
bullets  were  spent  at  that  distance.  This  is  what  got 
him,  Red."  He  touched  an  oozing  puncture  just  for 
ward  of  the  shapely  shoulder.  "  Looks  like  a  small 
caliber  high  pressure  to  me;  let's  have  it  out." 

Some  minutes  later  both  men  were  bending  over  a 
bit  of  metal  lying  in  Red's  palm.  They  were  very 
thoughtful  and  a  curious  expression  was  playing  over 
their  faces.  "  It's  a  seven  millimeter  Mauser,"  said 
Douglass,  quietly,  "  and  there's  only  one  such  gun  on 


IN  PART  PAYMENT.  in 

this  range.  It's  a  pretty  big  payment  on  account, 
Red!" 

McVey's  lips  hardened  but  he  evaded  the  other's  eye. 
"  Let's  get  the  direction,"  he  said,  "  and  maybe  we  can 
work  it  out." 

In  an  incredibly  short  time  these  experienced  fron 
tiersmen  had  not  only  located  the  spot  from  which  had 
been  fired  the  shot  that  undoubtedly  saved  Miss  Car 
ter's  life,  but  Douglass  had  as  well  found  the  dis 
charged  cartridge  shell.  It  was  a  seven  millimeter 
Mauser  case,  and  Matlock  was  the  possessor  of  the  only 
weapon  of  the  kind  on  this  range !  Furthermore,  they 
found  the  depressions  in  the  loose  soil  where  he  had 
knelt  when  firing  the  shot.  It  was  a  good  three  hun 
dred  yards  from  where  the  horse  lay  and  Red  once  more 
said,  "  Damn  good  shootin,'  Ken !  It's  worth  remem 
bering  when  the  time  comes.  A  six-shooter  ain't  deuce 
high  against  that  Dutch  joker  at  long  range." 

Tracking  the  shooter's  footprints  back  to  the  gully 
on  the  other  slope  of  the  hill,  they  were  found  to  lead 
to  where  a  horse  had  been  tied.  The  horse  tracks 
showed  that  the  beast  had  cast  his  left  hind  shoe ! 

Back-tracking  still  farther,  they  ascertained  that  the 
tracks  had  proceeded  to  this  spot  from  an  eminence 
at  the  head  of  a  wooded  coulie  which  commanded  the 
valley  where  the  horses  had  been  found.  To  these 
men  it  was  as  plain  as  a  printed  page  that  Matlock  had 
followed  their  movements  unseen,  finally  establishing 
his  position  on  the  crest  of  the  little  hill  where  the  empty 
shell  was  found,  a  position  that  commanded  the  corral^ 


ii2  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

and  all  the  country  likely  to  be  traversed  by  the  blue  in 
his  attempt  to  escape! 

"  He  figgered  the  blue  would  break  back,  and  that 
you  would  try  to  turn  him,"  said  Red.  "  Yuh  have  had 
a  close  call,  son !  " 

"  Yet  he  saved  her,"  said  Douglass,  steadily. 
"  That's  a  big  payment,  Red,  a  big  payment !  " 

11  Yep !  "  answered  McVey,  noncommittally,  "  but 
only  part  payment." 


CHAPTER  X 
THAT  WHICH  IS  CESAR'S 

THE  round-up  was  over,  the  marketable  beef  cut  out 
and  shipped,  and  life  at  the  C  Bar  had  resumed  the 
normality  of  quiet  routine.  From  now  until  spring  the 
ranch  labor  would  be  nominal;  a  few  weaklings  to  be 
fed  and  nurtured  through  the  rigors  of  winter,  a  few 
likely  colts  to  be  broken  and  "  gentled  "  against  the 
next  season's  requirements,  a  few  necessary  repairs  to 
equipment  and  fences,  much  wood  hauling  for  the  long 
night's  consumption,  and  an  engaging  season  of  rest 
and  recuperation  for  man  and  beast. 

All  throughout  the  range  there  is  a  general  reduction 
of  working  forces  at  this  period,  the  superfluous  men 
seeking  the  larger  towns  for  the  commendable  purpose 
of  putting  into  active  circulation  their  season's  hoard 
ings  ;  that  they  are  almost  always  obsessed  with  a  weird 
delusion  that  somewhere  in  the  gilded  halls  of  Chance 
the  fickle  dame  Fortune  awaits  their  coming  with  a 
whole  cornucopia  of  royal  favors,  aces  by  preference, 
only  insures  the  economy  of  time  to  that  end.  For 
whether  she  smile  or  not,  there  be  always  dames  and 
favors  of  price  to  reward  the  ambitious;  and  to  be 
lucky  in  love  is  even  more  expensive  than  to  be  unlucky 
at  cards.  The  process  may  be  conditionally  prolonged, 
but  the  final  result  is  always  the  same.  By  the  time 


ii4  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

the  grass  greens  again  they  have  been  divested  of  every 
thing,  even  of  their  cares,  and  are  ready  to  take  up  the 
broken  threads  of  the  endless  chain  that  links  them 
indissolubly  to  the  old  traditions. 

The  C  Bar  outfit  had  narrowed  down  to  four  men 
besides  Douglass.  Red,  Woolly,  Punk  and  a  saturnine- 
faced  Texan  whose  addiction  to  unique  expletives  of  an 
unconventional  nature  had  secured  for  him  the  sobri 
quet  of  "  Holy  Joe."  The  two  latter  were  detailed  to 
"  riding  fences  "  while  Red  and  Woolly  did  desultory 
choring  and  hauled  wood. 

Robert  Carter  had  returned  for  the  rodeo  and  he 
and  Douglass  had  enjoyed  several  hunting  trips  in 
company  afterward;  that  is  to  say,  the  former  did, 
Douglass  evincing  a  certain  restlessness  which  he,  how 
ever,  successfully  strove  to  conceal  from  the  younger 
man.  He  was  all  impatience  for  the  departure  of  Car 
ter  and  his  sister,  for  reasons  that  he  did  not  care  to 
share  with  either,  and  he  felt  a  positive  relief  when  the 
day  of  their  leaving  was  definitely  announced. 

Carter  had  been  vainly  endeavoring  to  persuade  him 
to  accompany  them,  and  one  night  enlisted  his  sister's 
influence  to  that  end;  her  gentle  insistence  precipitated 
Douglass's  proffer  of  repayment  of  the  losses  incurred 
through  Matlock's  emity. 

"  I  haven't  either  the  time  or  means  at  my  disposal 
for  such  a  junket,"  he  said  with  decision.  "  I  alone 
am  responsible  for  all  the  losses  occurring  on  this  ranch 
of  late,  and  there's  just  about  enough  due  me  on  salary 
account  to  square  it  up.  I've  got  it  all  figured  out 
here,"  producing  a  memorandum  sheet,  "and  I  think 


THAT  WHICH  IS  CESAR'S  115 

my  estimate  of  the  damage  is  a  fair  one;  I'd  like  your 
approval  of  it.  It  leaves  a  trifle  over  a  hundred  left 
coming  to  me  and  I've  got  other  and  more  urgent  uses 
for  it.  Besides,  I've  got  work  to  do  that  can't  be 
postponed." 

Carter  heard  him  in  open-mouthed  amazement,  his 
astonishment  changing  first  to  amusement,  then  to  in 
dignation  as  he  gathered  the  drift  of  Douglass's  intent. 
Grace,  suddenly  comprehending  many  things  previously 
only  hinted  at,  looked  genuinely  distressed  and  tapped 
nervously  on  the  carpet  with  her  sandaled  foot. 

"  Why,  man,  you're  crazy !  "  shouted  Carter.  "  Do 
you  think  for  a  moment  that  I  will  permit  you  to  even 
contemplate  such  an  absurdity?  " 

"  Pardon  me,"  said  Douglass,  suavely;  "  the  question 
of  your  permit  does  not  enter  into  the  matter  at  all; 
and  I've  done  all  the  thinking  necessary.  I  have  had 
it  under  contemplation  for  a  long  time.  This  business 
is  going  to  be  settled  right  here  and  now !  "  There  was 
no  mistaking  his  determination  and  Carter  was  dumb- 
foundered. 

"But — "  he  stammered,  protestingly,  "the  thing  is 
utterly  inconceivable !  I  could  not  even  momentarily 
entertain  such  a  preposterous  proposal.  Why,  suppos 
ing  for  argument's  sake,  that  Matlock's  private  ani 
mosity  to  you  in  person  had  brought  this  about,  how 
does  that  inculpate  you?  And  if  it  did,  do  you  think 
I  would  stand  for  your  only  taking  a  paltry  hundred 
dollars  for  a  whole  season's  hard  work,  the  best  work 
ever  done  on  this  range?  Nonsense,  old  fellow;  you've 
got  another  think  coming!  " 


n6  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

tc  Well,  I'm  thinking  that  a  hundred  odd  is  just 
what's  coming  to  me,  and  just  what  I'm  going  to  get!  " 
said  Douglass,  obstinately.  "  It'll  be  plenty  for  what 
I  am  going  to  do  with  it." 

Carter  sprang  up,  stormily:  "Don't  be  any  more 
of  an  ass  than  God  intended  you  to  be.  Quixotism 
went  out  centuries  ago.  You're  going  to  get  what's 
actually  due  you !  " 

"  And  that  is  a  hundred  odd,  I  believe  you  make  it, 
Mr.  Douglass?  "  interrupted  Grace,  evenly,  with  a  look 
of  imperious  warning  at  her  brother.  "  Can't  you  see, 
dear,  that  he  is  right!  Now  no  more  petty  bickering 
between  you  two  foolish  boys.  Don't  look  so  deso 
lated,  Bobbie;  Mr.  Douglass  does  not  intend  this  as  a 
preamble  to  his  resignation;  he  is  not  going  to  leave 
us.  There  are  no  quitters  on  the  C  Bar." 

"  Let  me  write  the  check,"  she  continued,  in  hasty 
trepidation,  not  daring  to  look  at  the  man  she  had  so 
audaciously  preempted  to  their  service.  "  Not  a  word, 
leave  it  to  me !  "  she  whispered  tensely  to  her  brother, 
whose  lips  were  again  opening  in  protest.  "  For 
heaven's  sake,  don't  spoil  it  all !  " 

As  she  dipped  the  pen  in  the  ink  she  hesitated: 
"Your  given  name,  Mr.  Douglass?  I  have  never 
learned  it  in  full." 

"  Kenneth  —  Kenneth  Malcolm,"  he  said  shortly. 
She  bit  her  lip  as  she  wrote  hurriedly;  he  was  so  de- 
liciously  pompous! 

"  And  the  exact  amount?"  He  handed  her  the 
memorandum.  "  One  hundred  and  six  dollars. 


THAT  WHICH  IS  CAESAR'S  117 

Please  approve  this,  Bobbie."  She  extended  the  paper 
to  her  brother,  pinching  him  viciously  under  the  table  as 
he  hesitated.  "  Quick !"  she  breathed,  almost  hiss- 
ingly,  and  he  scrawled  the  necessary  endorsement. 
Then  she  wrote  the  amount  in  the  body  of  the  check. 
Carter  signed  it  wrathfully,  and  she  tendered  it  to  Doug 
lass  with  a  smile. 

"  There !  Now  you  are  square  with  the  world,"  she 
said,  facetiously,  but  her  lips  were  tremulous  with  anx 
iety;  he  had  been  so  distressingly  noncommittal  as  to 
that  resignation ! 

"Not  exactly  with  the  whole  world!"  he  said, 
grimly.  "  I've  got  a  few  other  trifling  obligations  to 
discharge  before  I  can  subscribe  to  that  flattering  as 
sumption." 

"  Don't  think  me  ungrateful  for  your  kindness,"  he 
continued,  earnestly.  "  I  appreciate  your  invitation 
more  than  you  know;  but  you  see,  this  would  not  go 
very  far  in  luxurious  old  New  York.  It  wouldn't  more 
than  hardly  pay  my  fare  there,  and  really  my  presence 
here  is  imperative  for  some  indefinite  time.  I  had  no 
intention  of  resigning,  but  I  am  going  to  ask  the  favor 
of  a  month's  leave  of  absence.  McVey  is  perfectly 
competent  to  handle  the  outfit  until  my  return." 

"  Take  two  months  if  you  like,"  said  Carter,  cor 
dially.  "  And  while  I  am  not  at  all  easy  in  mind  about 
that  money  business,  I  respect  your  wishes  in  the  matter 
and  we  will  consider  that  over  and  done  with.  But  I 
insist  on  your  being  our  guest  at  the  old  home  next 
year.  I  have  your  promise  ?  " 


n8  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

Douglass  hesitated.  "  A  great  deal  can  happen  in  a 
year/'  he  said,  quietly;  "  but  if  I  am  alive  and  other 
conditions  serve  I  shall  be  delighted." 

Bobbie's  manner  was  not  quite  so  genial  and  com 
plaisant  to  his  sister  when  they  were  again  alone: 
"  See  here,  sis,  what  the  devil  — !  " 

"  For  shame,  Bobbie !  "  she  said,  with  laughing  re 
monstrance,  stopping  further  utterance  with  her  soft 
palm.  "  Swearing  isn't  at  all  becoming  to  small  boys. 
You  are  contracting  very  bad  local  habits."  But  she 
vouchsafed  him  no  explanation  whatever,  merely  rum 
pling  his  hair  over  his  eyes  and  kissing  him  on  the  tip 
of  his  nose. 

The  day  of  their  departure  Douglass  accompanied 
them  as  far  as  Tin  Cup,  where  they  would  take  the  stage 
for  Alpine.  He  was  all  cordiality  to  Carter  and  def 
erence  to  Grace,  showing  at  his  best  all  throughout  the 
pleasant  ride.  As  she  laid  her  hand  in  his  at  parting 
her  eyes  were  full  of  wistful  entreaty: 

"  Be  good  to  Buffo  and  my  roan,  and  very,  very  good 
to  yourself!  I  am  coming  back  in  the  spring  and  so 
will  say  anf  wiedersehen,  not  good-by.  You  will  write 
me  occasionally?  It  will  be  manna  to  me  until  I  can 
get  back  to  l  God's  country  '  again !  " 

His  face  brightened  approvingly;  "I  like  that!  It 
is  '  God's  country,'  surely,  even  though  abandoned  for 
a  space  by  its  brightest  angel.  Come  back  to  us  soon  !  " 

<f  That  was  very  sweet  of  you,  and  I  am  going  to 
take  it  at  full  face  value,"  she  said,  steadily.  "  That 
is  the  first  compliment  you  have  ever  paid  me  and  I  am 
commensurably  proud.  But  do  you  know  " —  her  lips 


THAT  WHICH  IS  CESAR'S  119 

were  very  close  to  his  ear — "  it  seems  funny  somehow! 
I  had  rather  —  oh,  dear !  I  really  can't  help  it !  — 
but  couldn't  you  manage  to  swear  at  me  a  little,  Ken !  " 
Her  face  was  a  vivid  scarlet  and  she  laughed  a  little 
hysterically.  Before  he  had  recovered  from  his  as 
tonishment  she  was  in  the  arms  of  Abbie,  who,  attended 
by  Red,  had  just  driven  up  in  the  buckboard  with  the 
luggage. 

She  persistently  avoided  his  eyes  as  she  shook  hands 
with  Red.  "  Mr.  McVey,"  she  said,  laughingly,  "  we 
have  so  over-burdened  Mr.  Douglass  with  responsibility 
for  innumerable  things  that  he  won't  have  time  to  take 
care  of  himself;  will  you  kindly  look  after  him  for 
us?" 

Red's  jaws  closed  spasmodically  at  the  appeal  under 
lying  her  forced  levity;  his  grasp  tightened  ever  so  little 
but  of  other  sign  he  was  guiltless.  Then  he  turned  and 
looked  at  Douglass  with  preternatural  gravity : 

"  I'm  shore  honahed,  Miss  Grace,  with  yuah  com 
mission!  Yuh  leave  it  to  me!  I'll  see  he  gits  he's 
milk  regulah  an'  goes  to  hes  leetle  baid  at  seven  every 
night.  On  yuah  return  I'll  hand  him  oveh  to  you  all 
wropped  up  in  cotton  bats,  tied  with  pink  ribbon  like 
thet  about  yuah  naick,  thet  is,  purvidin'  I  kin  rustle  thu 
ribbon." 

His  meaning  was  unmistakable,  and  though  blushing 
at  his  audacity,  Grace  took  up  the  gage.  Deliberately 
unclasping  the  tiny  golden  heart,  which  held  the  narrow 
band  in  place,  she  made  a  dainty  little  roll  of  the  silk, 
fastened  the  end  with  the  jewel  and  laid  it  in  Red's 
bronze  paw.  Douglass,  watching  the  little  by-play 


120  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

with  a  curious  interest,  wondered  at  the  quiver  in  that 
iron  fist  which  could  hold  the  weight  of  a  heavy  Colt's 
.45  with  never  a  tremor. 

Among  the  mail  handed  him  later  by  old  Hank  was 
an  official-looking  document  dated  Denver.  It  was 
from  the  office  of  the  State  Registrar  of  brands  and 
was  almost  laconic  in  its  brevity: 

"  The  brand  O-O  (left  side)  ;  earmarks,  square  crop 
right,  underbit  left;  is  registered  in  the  name  of  Bar 
tholomew  Coogan.  He  claims  residence  at  Gunnison, 
and  range  in  Gunnison  County  from  Texas  Creek  to 
Quartz  Creek.  Date  of  record  May  ist,  1898." 

He  reread  the  letter  three  times  with  exceeding  care, 
his  eyes  narrowing  to  mere  slits,  then  thrust  it  into  an 
inner  pocket.  He  was  very  thoughtful  on  the  home 
ward  ride,  his  preoccupied  air  at  the  supper  table  em 
boldening  Punk  to  irreverent  levity: 

"  These  yeah  partin's  are  shore  deespiritin*  things !  " 
he  observed,  lugubriously,  to  nobody  in  particular. 
"  I  don't  wonder  none  thet  gloom  has  settled  in  one 
great  gob  oveh  thu  achin'  souls  of  this  yeah  outfit. 
Why,  I'm  so  sad,  mahself,  thet  I  kin  hawdly  eat  pie !  " 
Nevertheless  he  cast  avaricious  glances  at  Douglass's 
portion  of  that  comestible  and  later  took  advantage  of 
his  abstraction  to  filch  the  savory  morsel. 

"  Yuh'll  be  sum  sadder  if  yuh  don't  keep  yuah  hooks 
on  yuah  side  of  the  table !  "  warned  Red,  sinisterly,  as 
he  successfully  repelled  a  similar  assault  on  his  own  re 
serves.  "  Yuh  moon-faced  pie-eater,  what  yuh  got  to 
be  sad  about  'ceptin'  thet  yuh  are  alive?  " 

"  Why,"  said  Woolly,  with  well-feigned  sympathy, 


THAT  WHICH  IS  CESAR'S  121 

"  don't  yuh  know  thet  Punk's  hed  a  great  sorrer?  He's 
been  yirrigatin'  the  hull  dum  ranch  with  hes  tears  ontil 
yuh-ve  gotter  wear  gum  butes  to  git  around  in  I  Why, 
he's  weeped  so  hawd  thet  hes  years  has  got  washed 
clean  for  oncet !  " 

Holy  chortled  in  blasphemous  delight  as  Woolly 
went  on:  "Punk's  been  lef  stranded  on  thu  shoals 
o'  woe.  He's  stah  o1  happiness  is  sot  an'  thu  mune  o' 
he's  desiah  won't  rise  no  moah!  Thu  light  has  gone 
outen  he's  young  life  an'  he's  tooken  to  writin'  potery 
an'  herdin'  by  hisself.  He  was  tooken  thet  way  early 
this  mawnin'  an'  hes  mizzery  hes  been  suthin'  scand'- 
lous.  He's  made  up  a  leetle  pome  all  outen  hes  own 
haid  thet  would  make  a  Ute  cry.  Speak  it  for  us,  Punk, 
won't  yuh  1  " 

Punk  sighed  dolorously  and  rested  his  head  on  his 
bowed  arms.  Then  he  raised  it  again  and  with  a  comi 
cal  imitation  of  Douglass's  abstraction  looked  into  va 
cancy.  Holy  was  gurgling  ecstatically,  his  delight  find 
ing  vent  in  a  yell  of  irrepressible  joy  as  Punk  fumbled 
twistingly  with  his  base  upper  lip  in  emulation  of  Doug 
lass's  impatient  twirls  of  his  mustache. 

His  wandering  thoughts  recalled  by  that  raucous 
guffaw,  Douglass  glared  with  cold  disfavor  at  the  twain, 
somehow  realizing  that  he  was  more  or  less  concerned 
in  their  horse-play.  "  What's  the  matter  with  you 
damn  fools?  "  he  asked,  incautiously. 

Punk  looked  at  him  in  anguished  protestation,  shook 
his  head  in  hopeless  despondency  and  wailed  : 

"Oh!  Gawd  —  haow  kin  I  stand  it?  Haow  kin 
I?" 


122          THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

Woolly  looked  at  Douglass  reproachfully.  "  To  be 
sworn  at  in  thet  heartless  way,  an'  him  so  young  and 
gentle !  "  He  put  his  arm  sympathetically  about 
Punk's  shoulders;  Red's  eyes  were  twinkling  in  antici 
pation. 

"Thar!  thar!  ole  man!  Don't  yuh  take  it  so 
hawd." 

Punk  laid  his  head  wearily  on  Woolly's  breast. 
Then  as  Holy  and  Red  almost  cried  in  their  hilarity, 
he  clasped  his  hands  and  crooned  with  heart-rending 
pathos: 

"Tis  sweet  tu  love  — 
But  oh!  haow  bitter 
To  hev  yuh  gyurl 
Git  up  an'  flit-ter !  " 

Douglass  swore  softly  under  his  breath;  then  he 
looked  meaningly  at  Red  and  touched  his  throat  care 
lessly.  Red  sobered  instantly  and  felt  of  something  in 
the  breast  pocket  of  his  shirt.  His  own  fences  were 
a  trifle  shaky  and  the  temper  of  this  particular  colt  was 
proverbially  short  and  uncertain.  .He  rose  and  went 
over  to  the  water  pail  on  the  bench  behind  Woolly  as  if 
to  get  a  drink,  turning  with  a  world  of  compassion  in 
his  eyes  as  Punk  gasped  faintly  and  sank  back  in 
Woolly's  arms. 

Instantly  he  was  beside  the  twain,  a  huge  dipper  full 
of  water  in  his  hand.  "  Don't  let  him  faint!  don't  yuh 
now,  Woolly !  "  he  yelled,  in  mock  consternation. 
"  Heah,  put  this  on  hes  pore  brow!  "  and  he  deliber 
ately  poured  a  quart  of  ice  water  down  Punk's  neck. 
The  effect  was  as  remarkable  as  it  was  instantaneous. 


THAT  WHICH  IS  CAESAR'S  123 

Punk's  head  flew  up  spasmodically,  catching  Woolly's 
nose  with  a  force  that  tilted  that  worthy's  chair  back 
wards  and  sent  them  to  the  floor  locked  in  each  other's 
arms.  Tangled  up  with  their  chairs,  the  impact  was 
attended  with  such  a  series  of  excruciating  bruises  that 
both  men  lashed  out  retaliatingly  and  in  a  second  they 
were  fighting  like  wolves.  Holy,  leaning  up  against 
the  wall  for  support,  was  convulsed  with  ecstasy: 
"  Bite  him  in  thu  flank,  Woolly !  Pull  hes  ha'r  out, 
Punk !  Oh !  Gawd !  Let  me  die  now  I  " 

In  the  midst  of  the  amenities  entered  Abbie  with  eyes 
aflame,  a  mopstick  in  her  hand.  Without  hesitation, 
she  impartially  belabored  both  the  combatants,  calling 
frantically  on  Douglass  and  Red  for  aid.  When  their 
combined  efforts  had  finally  pried  the  two  men  apart 
she  turned  witheringly  upon  Douglass  and  lashed  him 
with  her  scorn. 

"A  fine  boss  yuh  be  to  let  these  coyotes  tear  each 
other  to  pieces !  Ef  yuh  cain't  manage  men  any  bettah 
than  thet  yuh  bettah  take  yuh  lettle  pen  an'  write  potery 
fer  a  livin'.  Maybe  yuh'd  git  yuh  name  in  thu  papehs 
that  way !  "  Then  she  stopped  suddenly,  the  flood  of 
invective  dying  on  her  tongue.  The  man's  face  was  a 
livid  gray,  the  teeth  showing  blue  through  the  thin 
white  lips.  She  quailed  before  the  unlovable  smile 
that  distorted  his  mouth  as  he  bowed  ironically  to  her 
and  went  silently  out. 

"What  hev  I  done  wrong,  now?"  she  muttered, 
speculatively.  "  He  seemed  touched  on  thu  raw !  " 
Her  thrust  had  been  a  random  one  and  entirely  with 
out  malice  or  specific  reference;  Abbie  merely  had  a 


124  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

wholesome  contempt  for  rhymes  and  rhymsters  in  gen 
eral  and  had  inadvertently  exercised  that  contempt  in 
lieu  of  other  more  opprobious  taunt.  But  this  Doug 
lass  did  not  know;  he  leaped,  instead,  to  a  different  and 
altogether  unworthy  conclusion,  one  that  sickened 
him  to  the  depths  of  his  strong  being  and  ultimately 
brought  much  unnecessary  pain  to  another  heart. 

And  yet,  as  he  walked  into  the  bunkhouse  a  few  min 
utes  later,  no  one  looking  at  the  outward  impassiveness 
of  that  calm  face  would  have  even  the  remotest  sus 
picion  of  the  hell  of  resentful  anger  and  outraged  vanity 
burning  in  his  heart.  His  lip  even  twitched  with  in 
dulgent  amusement  as  he  watched  Woolly  and  Punk 
solicitously  binding  up  each  other's  wounds,  each  with 
a  studiously  exaggerated  commiseration  of  the  other's 
disfiguration. 

"  Gawd !  Woolly,  but  yuh  shore  was  playin'  in  luck 
when  my  haid  hit  yuh  beak  'stead  o'  my  fist !  "  Punk 
said,  comfortingly,  wiping  that  ensanguined  member 
with  a  bit  of  wet  burlap.  Woolly  grinned  acquies 
cently  : 

"  Thet's  so,  Punk,  thet's  so !  It  were  shore  con- 
sid'rit  o'  yuh  to  jab  me  with  the  softest  thing  yuh  had. 
Ef  yuh'll  put  a  leetle  skunk-oil  on  thet  chawed  year  o' 
yourn  I  guess  it'll  grow  out  again',  er  I  kin  eat  off  thu 
otheh  one  to  match  it.  Honest,  son,  I  didn't  aim  to 
chaw  off  more'n  a  foot,  but  my  jaw  slipped." 

"  Thet  must  hev  been  when  I  swatted  yuh  against 
thu  table  laig,"  said  Punk,  regretfully.  "  Yuh  know 
Ken  has  giv  ordahs  to  kill  everything  with  thu  lumpy 
jaw,  an'  yuh  mug  is  shore  a  heap  outer  place.  Does 


THAT  WHICH  IS  CESAR'S  125 

yuh  teeths  track  all  right,  old  man?"  The  anxiety 
in  his  voice  was  very  touching. 

"  They've  kissed  an'  made  up,"  explained  Holy  to 
Douglass,  with  blood-curdling  expletiveness.  "  Ain't 
they  jest  thu  two  mos'  lovin'  waddies  yuh  eveh  see?  " 

"  When  you  two  fellows  get  done  monkeying  with 
each  other,"  said  Douglass,  impatiently,  "  I  have  some 
thing  to  tell  you."  Something  in  his  tone  enlisted  their 
immediate  attention.  Red  looked  at  him  inquisitively. 

"  It  was  only  a  bit  of  harmless  hoss-play,"  he  mum 
bled,  apologetically.  "  They  didn't  mean  nuthin'." 
Douglass  nodded  indifferently.  He  had  already  for 
gotten  the  incident  in  the  consideration  of  more  seri 
ous  things. 

He  took  out  of  his  pocket  the  letter  he  had  that  day 
received  from  Denver.  "  It's  from  the  brand  Regis 
trar's  office,"  he  said,  shortly.  "  I  guess  it  clears  up  the 
mystery  about  that  O  Bar  O  brand."  He  read  it  with 
slow  deliberation  and  at  the  mention  of  Coogan's  name 
they  exchanged  meaning  glances.  Red  whistled  signifi 
cantly.  "Big  Bart,  eh!"  The  others  said  never  a 
word. 

Douglass  meditatively  took  out  of  his  vest  pocket  a 
broad-leaded  indelible  pencil  with  which  he  traced  upon 
the  margin  of  a  newspaper  the  characters  which  com 
posed  the  Carter  brand :  "  C  — ."  As  the  others 
watched  him  in  silence  he  retraced  them,  closing  up  the 
ends  of  the  first  character  and  adding  another  after  the 
second.  As  amended  the  brand  was  "  O-O."  There 
was  no  need  of  comment,  for  every  man  knew  what  his 
action  implied. 


126  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

In  the  midst  of  an  impressive  silence  he  rolled  and 
lighted  a  cigarette ;  then  he  rose  and  strolled  over  to  the 
fireplace,  resting  his  arm  on  the  mantel  shelf.  Red 
waited  expectantly  but  there  was  visible  discomfort  in 
the  uneasy  demeanor  of  the  other  three  men. 

"  Boys,"  said  Douglass,  slowly  but  with  incisive 
distinctness.  "  When  I  took  charge  here  I  was  under 
the  impression  that  the  O  Bar  O  brand  was  owned  by 
a  man  in  Middle  Park  named  Wistar,  a  friend  of  Mr. 
Carter's.  I  was  even  so  assured  by  two  of  the  men  most 
trusted  by  Mr.  Carter  —  I  think  you  know  to  whom  I 
refer  —  as  well  as  by  Mr.  Carter  himself,  who  was  evi 
dently  misinformed.  I  have  reason  to  believe  that 
every  man  of  this  outfit,  except  McVey,  knew  differ 
ently,  but  I  have  no  intention  of  asking  any  embarrassing 
questions.  I  want  to  say,  however,  that  I  am  satisfied 
that  since  I  came  to  the  C  Bar  none  of  our  old  cattle 
have  been  absorbed  by  the  O  Bar  O. 

"  But  our  tally  sheets  for  the  three  previous  years 
show  a  strange  discrepancy  with  our  present  bunch; 
we  are  shy  about  five  hundred  head  of  cows,  and  our 
increase  has  fallen  off  unaccountably.  And  in  this 
year's  round-up  I  noticed  a  great  many  motherless  calves 
and  yearlings  in  the  O  Bar  O  brand.  As  a  matter  of 
curiosity  I  took  a  chance  and  killed  a  few  of  them,  and 
here  are  the  hides."  He  walked  over  to  his  bunk  and 
took  from  underneath  it  three  partly  dried  skins  which 
he  spread  flesh  side  uppermost  on  the  floor.  To  their 
experienced  eyes  it  was  plainly  evident  that  the  animals 
had  been  rebranded,  the  differently  healed  scars  show^ 


THAT  WHICH  IS  CESAR'S          127 

ing  very  plainly  that  the  brands  were  originally  C  — 
afterwards  altered  to  O-O. 

"  Every  man  in  this  room  knows  what  this  means; 
and  every  man  also  is  aware  that  Mr.  Matlock  and  Mr. 
Coogan  always  have  been  on  terms  of  closest  intimacy, 
it  being  the  general  impression  that  they  are  partners  in 
several  enterprises.  Now,  boys,  I  respect  a  man  who 
keeps  his  own  counsel  at  all  times,  and  I  am  aware  that 
when  a  fellow  wants  to  know  anything  he  is  expected 
to  find  it  out  for  himself.  Well,  I  have  been  finding 
out  enough  to  warrant  my  keeping  you  men  on  this  job. 
I  am  sure  that  you  are  all  right.  But  the  fellows  I  let 
out  this  fall  won't  come  back.  I  am  going  to  see  that 
there  are  a  few  more  C  Bar  calves  on  the  range  this  year, 
and  a  few  less  O  Bar  O's.  If  I  had  been  reasonably 
sure  of  my  premises  before,  the  thing  would  have  been 
straightened  up  long  ago ;  but  as  I  am  going  to  acquire 
the  O  Bar  O  brand  myself  in  a  few  days,  it  won't  make 
any  difference,  as  we  will  vent  the  brand  and  put  the 
cattle  under  it  back  where  they  belong,  in  the  C  Bar." 

"  One  thing  more,"  he  continued  dispassionately;  "  I 
expect  every  man  who  works  for  this  outfit  to  play  the 
limit  in  his  employer's  interest.  I  have  set  aside  two 
thousand  dollars  out  of  our  last  sales  to  be  used  to  de 
fend  any  man  who  finds  it  necessary  to  shoot  up  a  few 
of  the  skunks  that  are  looting  this  range.  I  believe 
that  you  are  all  dependable  men,  and  your  wages  will 
be  raised  twenty-five  per  cent,  after  the  first  of  the 
month,  McVey  will  act  as  assistant  foreman,  and  you 
will  take  orders  from  him.  I  think  that's  all,"  he  said 


128  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

with  a  yawn,  "  except  that  Red  and  I  are  going  to  Gun-, 
nison  in  the  morning.  You  fellows  keep  tabs  till  we  get 
back;  we'll  be  gone  about  five  or  six  days." 

He  filled  his  pipe,  a  sure  indication  that  he  contem 
plated  an  extended  stroll,  and  scooped  up  a  hot  coal 
from  the  fireplace;  at  the  door  he  turned  for  a  final 
word:  "  We  will  take  those  hides  with  us." 

After  he  had  gone  the  men  sat  for  a  long  time  in 
silence.  Then  Holy  swore  enthusiastically:  "By 
Gawd !  fellers,  that's  a  man !  "  Woolly  felt  of  his 
swollen  jaw  tenderly  and  turned  in  pretended  amaze 
ment:  "  Why,  was  yuh  thinkin'  he  was  a  woman?  " 

Punk  ceased  operations  on  his  cigarette  and  stared 
meditatively  into  the  fire.  "  Wonder  haow  he's  goin' 
to  ack-kwire  that  brand?  Trade  those  hides  fer  it, 
mebbe." 

But  Red  McVey  for  once  was  silent.  Going  to  his 
warbag  he  took  therefrom  his  spare  gun;  it  had  a  soft 
leather  scabbard  of  the  kind  designed  for  wearing  in 
side  the  coat  under  the  left  armpit.  Very  carefully  he 
cleaned  and  recleaned  the  already  speckless  weapon  and 
oiled  it  anew;  he  then  bestowed  a  similar  attention  on 
the  Colts  in  his  belt,  and  filled  both  bandolier  and  belt 
with  fresh  cartridges  from  an  unbroken  box.  Of  the 
hides  he  made  a  neat  package  that  would  "  ride  "  well 
on  a  pack-saddle.  Then  he  took  down  his  guitar  and  a 
moment  later  the  night  was  vocal  with  the  strains  of 
"  The  Spanish  Cavalier." 

When  his  pipe  was  empty,  Douglass  went  up  to  the 
office  to  write  a  letter.  The  rapidity  with  which  he 
wrote  showed  that  he  had  perfectly  rehearsed  its  text. 


THAT  WHICH  IS  CAESAR'S  129 

It  was  addressed  to  Robert  Carter  at  his  New  York 
residence : 

"  DEAR  MR.  CARTER  :  — 

"  I  have  just  proved  to  my  entire  satisfaction  that  you  have  been 
systematically  robbed  by  Matlock  and  certain  of  his  confederates 
in  your  employ,  for  the  past  three  years.  The  proof  is  indisputable 
and  I  am  going  to  secure  restitution  if  I  can.  By  the  time  you  re 
ceive  this  the  matter  will  be  definitely  settled  one  way  or  the  other. 

"The  O-O  brand  is  not  owned,  as  you  suppose,  by  Mr.  Wistar, 
but  by  a  side  partner  of  Matlock's  named  Coogan,  a  saloon  keeper 
and  tin-horn  gambler  in  Gunnison.  Their  game  has  been  to  not 
only  alter  your  C —  into  O-O,  but  to  have  your  own  men,  confeder 
ates  of  Matlock's  and  working  under  his  directions,  brand  your 
calves  in  that  brand,  killing  the  mothers  when  necessary.  I  figure 
that  your  losses  have  been  at  least  one  thousand  head.  I  have  dis 
charged  every  man  implicated  or  under  reasonable  suspicion,  retain 
ing  only  four  whom  I  deem  dependable.  I  did  not  acquaint  you  of 
these  facts  before  your  departure  for  reasons  that  do  not  matter. 

"Should  I  be  fortunate  in  my  endeavor  I  will  report  promptly. 
Should  you  not  hear  from  me  within  the  next  two  weeks  you  may 
assume  that  my  attempt  has  been  unsuccessful.  In  the  latter  event 
you  had  better  place  the  matter  in  the  hands  of  competent  counsel ; 
sufficient  proofs  can  be  easily  supplied  by  the  men  now  in  your  em 
ploy,  and  an  examination  of  young  cattle  in  the  O-O  brands  will 
give  you  sufficient  evidence  for  an  action  for  damages/' 

On  another  sheet  he  wrote : 

"  In  case  of  my  death  from  any  cause,  I  hereby  direct  that  all 
my  effects  be  given  to  Red  McVey  if  he  be  alive;  if  he  be  not,  then 
it  is  my  wish  that  they  be  divided  among  the  other  three  boys  em 
ployed  at  the  time  of  this  writing  on  the  C  Bar  ranch." 

"  BREWSTER." 

He  signed  and  sealed  them  in  separate  envelopes,  di 
recting  both  to  Robert  Carter.  Then  he  entrusted 
them  to  Abbie  with  the  request  that  she  have  the  former 
mailed  at  once  to  New  York,  but  to  retain  the  latter 


i3o  THE  SONG  OF  THE  .WOLF. 

for  two  weeks  before  mailing.  He  was  very  explicit  in 
his  instructions  and  enjoined  her  to  carry  them  out  in 
every  particular.  She  was  inclined  to  ask  questions  but 
he  calmly  ignored  them  and  went  off  to  bed,  after  in 
forming  her  that  he  wanted  breakfast  at  daybreak  in 
the  morning. 

As  he  entered  the  bunkhouse  the  measured  breaths 
from  each  bed  were  those  of  placidly  sleeping  men  and 
he  undressed  in  the  dark  so  as  not  to  disturb  them.  A 
single  ray  of  moonlight  lay  across  the  room,  hitting 
squarely  the  peg  in  the  post  above  Red's  bunk.  It  lit 
up  the  two  revolvers  hanging  in  their  scabbards  and 
Douglass  smiled  almost  affectionately  in  the  direction 
of  their  owner.  When  Red  "  packed  "  that  extra  gun 
he  was  enlisted  for  the  whole  war. 

He  went  over  and  looked  down  kindly  upon  the  stal 
wart  sleeper.  In  the  relaxation  of  sleep  the  stern  face 
was  gentle  and  almost  handsome.  Was  he  justified  in 
taking  this  comely  young  fellow  into  the  grim  uncer 
tainty  that  lay  ahead,  into  the  jaws  of  the  specter  grin 
ning  waitingly  behind  the  red  lights  of  Bart  Coogan's 
gambling  hell  at  Gunnison?  As  he  hesitatingly  de 
bated  the  question  in  his  mind,  Red  turned  slightly  and 
mumbled  in  his  sleep:  "  All  right,  honey  —  for  yuah 
sake  — " 

Douglass,  stepping  back  involuntarily,  laid  his  hand! 
upon  the  breast  of  the  shirt  hanging  under  the  guns; 
it  encountered  something  round  in  the  flannel  pocket, 
and  instantly  his  face  hardened.  He  went  over  to  his 
own  bunk  and  laid  down. 

"  You've  got  to  sit  in  the  game,  Red,  for  her  sake. 


THAT  WHICH  IS  CAESAR'S  131 

We  are  in  the  same  boat  and  we've  got  to  take  our  med 
icine.  I  wonder  if  she  told  old  Abbie  about  that  rib 
bon,  too.  Well,  maybe  we'll  give  her  something  more 
to  laugh  at  before  we  are  through."  Then  youth  and 
healthful  fatigue  asserted  itself  and  he  rolled  over  and 
went  to  sleep. 


CHAPTER  XI 

FRENZIED  FINANCE 

OUTSIDE  of  a  fixed  determination  to  compel  the 
restoration  of  the  stolen  cattle,  Douglass  had  no  specific 
plans  in  mind  as  they  rode  away  in  the  gray  dawn.  His 
actions  would  be  determined  by  the  conditions  that 
would  confront  him  at  Gunnison,  and  he  left  much  to 
what  he  deemed  his  luck,  but  which  in  reality  was  rather 
his  great  capability  and  aptitude  in  moments  of  crisis. 

Of  course,  he  would  incidentally  kill  Matlock  if  justi 
fying  circumstances  permitted,  but  he  was  not  a  killer  in 
cold  blood  and  the  provocation  would  have  to  be  amply 
sufficient.  He  resolved  to  let  Matlock  make  the  first 
hostile  demonstration,  after  which  matters  were  a  thing 
of  evolution  purely;  of  the  ultimate  result  he  had  not 
the  slightest  apprehension. 

Every  fiber  of  him  was  tingling  with  resentment  of 
what  he  deemed  Grace's  duplicity;  she  had  begged  for 
his  friendship  and  then  had  maliciously  exposed  him  to 
ridicule  by  showing  that  foolish  poem  to  Abbie,  and 
the  Lord  only  knew  who  else  besides.  She  had  made 
of  him  a  laughing  stock  of  the  whole  community,  a 
butt  for  the  coarse  witticisms  of  his  fellows,  and  the 
deeply-driven  barb  in  his  vanity  rankled  sore.  Of 
course,  he  opined,  she  had  only  been  making  a  fool  of 

132 


FRENZIED  FINANCE  133 

Red,  too,  but  despite  the  old  time-honored  saw  about 
misery  loving  company,  he  took  small  comfort  in  the 
thought,  being  rather  disposed  to  harsher  judgment  of 
her  for  so  unscrupulously  playing  upon  that  ignorant 
cowpuncher's  fatuous  credulity.  Red  knew  nothing  of 
fine  ladies  and  their  heartless  machinations  and  it  was  a 
shame  to  encourage  him  in  his  hopeless  folly.  No  lady 
would  take  such  cruel  advantage  of  puerile  innocence ! 
It  is  possibly  apparent  to  the  reader  by  this  time  that 
Mr.  Douglass  was  somewhat  of  an  egotist,  whose  per 
sonal  estimation  of  himself  bulked  large  in  his  stock  in 
trade.  If  it  be  true  that  a  man's  vanity  is  the  real  unit 
of  the  measure  of  his  possibilities,  then  Ken  Douglass, 
scaled  by  the  miles  of  his  self-containment,  might  logic 
ally  have  aspired  beyond  the  stars.  Not  that  he  under 
estimated  other  men  in  the  slightest;  he  was  quick  to 
recognize  and  commend  courage,  fortitude,  honesty  and 
skill  in  his  compeers ;  indeed,  he  heartily  despised  any 
one  in  whom  these  primal  qualities  were  not  ingrained; 
but  the  ego  was  first  in  his  cosmos  and  when  a  man 
humbly  urges  that  he  is  the  equal  of  all  other  men  it 
may  be  set  down  as  an  axiom  that  he  really  thinks  him 
self  immeasurably  their  superior.  Now  the  world 
always  accepts  a  man  at  his  own  valuation  in  absence 
of  evidence  to  the  contrary,  and  he  had  vindicated  his 
position  so  far  as  his  range  work  went;  he  was  con- 
cededly  the  best  rider,  roper,  pistol  shot  and  poker  player 
in  his  circumscribed  little  world,  and  had,  besides,  the 
enviable  reputation  of  never  "  falling  down  "  in  any 
thing  he  essayed.  In  the  flush  of  his  present  successes 
he  entirely  overlooked  his  previous  grievous  failures,  as 


i34          THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

is  man's  wont  the  world  over;  the  world  was  his  own 
succulent  oyster,  and  he,  himself,  the  proper  blade  for 
its  opening.  Therefore  he  arrogantly  pitied  Red's  un- 
sophistication;  at  which  the  gods  laughed. 

As  they  rode  along  he  made  a  clean  breast  of  his 
dilemma.  "  It  will  have  to  be  largely  a  case  of  bluff," 
he  confided,  u  and  we  must  make  it  stick.  We  have  no 
time  for  lawing,  and  if  we  did,  the  shysters  would  get 
it  all.  Bart  isn't  easily  buffaloed  and  will  put  up  a  stiff 
fight.  Of  course  we've  got  the  age  on  him  —  those 
hides  are  a  strong  card  —  but  we're  not  going  to  have 
a  walk-over.  I  can't  see  my  way  clear  just  yet,  but  it 
will  work  out  as  we  go  along.  It  sure  won't  be  a  picnic, 
but  one  thing  is  certain;  we'll  either  get  those  cattle  or 
Matlock  will  have  to  rustle  a  new  partner." 

Red  shifted  his  cud  and  spat  unerringly  on  the  crest 
of  a  loco  weed  in  the  trail.  "  D'yuh  'spose  we'll  meet 
up  with  Matlock  there?  Reckon  'tain't  likely  though,1' 
Through  the  labored  indifference  of  his  speech,  Doug 
lass  detected  a  certain  restrained  hopefulness  and  his 
face  grew  serious. 

"  I  want  to  talk  to  you  about  that,  Red.  We've  got 
nothing  that  we  can  fasten  on  him  securely  as  yet,  and 
we've  got  to  go  slow.  Of  course,  if  we  get  him  to 
rights,  or  if  he  makes  any  bad  breaks  " —  the  pause 
was  ominous.  "  But  we  don't  want  to  raise  any  hell 
that  we  can't  lay  again.  I'm  going  to  give  him  all  the 
rope  that  the  game  will  stand;  I  think,  however,  that 
he  has  quit." 

"  Them  kind  nevah  quits,"  said  McVey  sententiously, 
"  an7  yuh  don't  want  to  take  any  fool  chances,  Ken.  I 


FRENZIED  FINANCE  135 

seen  a  feller  oncet  thet  was  monkeying  with  a  rattler  an' 
ketched  'im  by  thu  tail.  He  got  bit!  Thu  best  way 
with  a  pizen  reptyle  is  to  blow  his  damn  haid  off,  'spe 
cially  one  thet  yuhVe  pulled  thu  rattles  offen." 

They  both  grinned  reminiscently  at  the  reference  to 
the  Alcazar  Incident,  but  Douglass  winced  at  the  thought 
that  although  he  had  stopped  Matlock's  rattling  for  the 
time  being,  he  had  not  neutralized  the  venom  of  his 
silent  bite.  And  it  is  hard  to  side-step  an  unheralded 
stroke  from  behind. 

"  Well,"  he  said  unemotionally,  "  it's  his  first  move." 

"  Hes  last,  yuh  mean,"  muttered  Red  sotto  voce, 
"  fer  I  am  to  be  first  if  he  bats  lies  eye."  But  aloud 
he  merely  said,  "  That's  what,"  and  took  a  fresh  chew 
of  plug. 

Douglass's  perplexity  as  how  his  coup  was  to  be  ex 
ecuted  increased  with  every  passing  hour.  He  care 
fully  formulated  and  as  regretfully  discarded  at  least 
a  hundred  schemes,  each  of  which  appealed  less  and 
less  to  his  practical  judgment  as  he  critically  reviewed 
them.  Never  in  his  experience  had  he  faced  anything 
so  intangible  as  the  problem  which  now  confronted  him. 
He  was  at  a  loss  for  a  precedent,  and  what  was  still 
worse,  was  in  total  ignorance  of  the  laws  governing  the 
unique  conditions.  Not  that  he  cared  a  rap  for  the 
laws  so  far  as  they  might  affect  him  personally,  and  he 
had  an  inborn  contempt  for  conditions;  but  he  wanted 
that  transfer  of  the  brand  to  be  legally  absolute  and 
without  recourse,  and  he  did  not  want  to  involve  Mr. 
Carter  in  the  slightest  degree. 

When   they  eventually  reached   Gunnison   he   went 


i3«          THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

straight  to  the  office  of  the  best  lawyer  in  the  town,  a 
life-long  friend  of  old  Bob  Carter,  and  succinctly  and 
forcibly  laid  all  the  facts  before  him.  After  listening 
attentively  to  his  explicit  elucidation  of  the  law  in  the 
case,  and  his  logical  course  of  procedure  in  the  premises, 
Douglass  shook  his  head. 

"  That  will  take  months  of  lawing  and  jawing  and  I 
want  those  stolen  cattle  returned  at  once.  It's  got  to 
be  settled  before  I  leave  town,  and  I  won't  consent  to 
involving  Carter  in  any  long-drawn-out,  expensive  liti 
gation.  There  must  be  some  way  of  settling  it  man  to 
man.  Will  the  law  protect  a  bill  of  sale  made  out  to 
me  or  Red,  here,  if  I  win  it  in  a  card  game  or  force  it 
out  of  him  with  a  gun?  That's  what  I  want  to  know." 

The  old  practitioner  chuckled  at  this  ingenuous  im 
putation  of  the  law's  plasticity;  his  eyes  twinkled  in  an 
ticipation  of, the  laugh  he  would  raise  in  chambers  when 
he  got  a  chance  to  spring  that  joke  on  his  dignified  con 
freres.  But  his  manner  was  gravity  personified  as  he 
earnestly  assured  this  exceedingly  straightforward 
young  fellow  that  much  to  his  regret  he  would  have  to 
answer  negatively. 

"  Even  if  you  did  get  a  sufficient  and  properly-drawn 
bill  of  sale  out  of  Coogan  by  either  of  the  means  you 
suggest,  he  could  come  back  at  you  with  the  l  baby  act ' 
and  nullify  the  transfer  by  pleading  no  real  considera 
tion  and  invoking  the  statute  which  declares  gambling 
debts  noncollectible,  in  the  first  instance;  and  in  the 
second,  by  setting  up  the  plea  of  unlawful  stress  and  in 
timidation.  In  either  case  you  would  lose  out  if  he 
brought  action.'" 


FRENZIED  FINANCE  137 

"  Supposin'  he  was  daid  an'  couldn't  get  no  action 
on  hisself  ?  "  interjected  Red,  softly. 

The  old  lawyer,  frontier-hardened  as  he  was,  started 
nervously.  "  You  surely  don't  contemplate  any  such 
p» 

"  Any  such  what?  "  Red's  face  was  a  study  in  mild 
curiosity.  "  I  was  only  asking  yuh  a  question." 

The  lawyer  moistened  his  lips  tentatively  before  re 
plying.  "  That  would  complicate  matters  very  much 
—  to  all  parties  concerned.  I  hope,  gentlemen  — " 

"  An7  if  thu  bill  o'  sale  was  made  out  to  me,  an*  I 
was  to  trade  it  off  to  Ken,  an'  he  was  to  tuhn  it  inter 
coin  an'  cache  thu  dough,  what  then?  "  The  drawling 
voice  was  a  sinister  purr  and  somehow  the  half-shut 
eyes  took  on  a  feline  expression.  The  lawyer  suddenly 
achieved  a  new  interest  in  this  inquisitive  young  man; 
he  looked  at  him  from  under  his  grizzled  brows  with 
professional  appreciation. 

"  Why,  you're  a  pretty  fair  shyster,  yourself,  Red," 
said  Douglass  humorously;  "  that  idea  didn't  occur  to 
me.  That  could  not  possibly  involve  Carter,  could 
it?" 

"  No.  But  I  trust  — ."  The  old  man's  voice  was 
hesitating  and  tremulous. 

"  O-h-h,  put  yuah  trust  in  Jesus, 
An'  yuh  shall  see  thu  Throne !  " 

chanted  Red,  nasally;  adding  as  an  afterthought:  "  Thu 
C  Bar  pays  cash." 

"  And  it  wants  to  retain  you,  Mr.  Brewster,  as  coun 
sel  in  event  of  my  failure  to  accomplish  the  restitution 


138  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

of  Mr.  Carter's  property,"  supplemented  Douglass 
quickly.  "  You  see,  I've  got  to  fight  the  devil  with 
fire.  If  I  lose  out  you  have  full  authority  to  thrash  it 
out  in  your  own  way.  But  I  play  my  hand  first." 

"That's  what,"  said  Red  laconically.  "  An'  I'll 
keep  cases  on  thu  game." 

At  the  request  of  Douglass  the  attorney  drew  up  the 
correct  form  of  a  bill  of  sale  with  notorial  attest;  he 
refused  the  fee  tendered  him,  saying :  "  I  am  glad  to  be 
of  service  to  Bob  Carter's  boy.  And  if  at  any  time  you 
need  my  aid,  professional  or  otherwise,  command  me 
without  hesitation." 

"  Ken,"  said  McVey  oracularly,  as  they  mounted 
their  horses.  "  We're  goin'  to  win  out.  We've  seed  a 
honest  law-sharp  an'  our  systems  hev  stood  thu  shock; 
an'  we  ain't  been  parted  from  our  wealth  none.  I 
think  thu  Lawd  took  thet  way  o'  breakin'  thu  news  to  us, 
gentle  like,  thet  Fawtune  is  goin'  to  smile  on  us. 
Betcha  we  have  pie  an'  ice  cream  feh  suppah." 

He  was  still  more  optimistic  when  he  came  in,  an 
hour  or  so  after  supper  was  over,  to  where  Douglass 
sat  thoughtfully  smoking  a  cigar.  His  manner  was 
even  jubilant  as  he  struck  a  match  and  sucked  viva 
ciously  at  the  proffered  weed.  "  Matlock  will  be  in 
town  to-morrow;  he  was  here  yiste'day  an'  him  an'  Bart 
has  gone  out  huntin';  so  they  say;  like  as  not  up  ter 
sum  lowdown  meanness  er  'tother;  an'  they're  aixpected 
back  to-morrer  evenin'.  Luck  is  suttinly  comin'  ouah 
way. 

"  I  thought  I'd  go  projeckin'  around  a  leetle  so  as  to 
kinda  size  up  thu  layout,"  he  explained,  "  an'  get  a  line 


FRENZIED  FINANCE  139 

on  thu  fo'thcomin'  festivities.  So  I  nacherally  draps  in 
to  thu  Palace  an'  thu  barkeep  gits  loquacious.  Was 
yuh  thinkin'  o'  drinkin'  a  sarsaperiller  with  me?" 

Time  hanging  heavy  on  their  hands,  the  two  cow- 
punchers  strolled  up  the  street  in  the  search  of  diversion ; 
at  the  Shoo  Fly  dance-hall  the  revelry  seemed  most 
promising  and  they  went  in  to  investigate.  The  usual 
quota  of  frowsy,  bedraggled  women  were  in  evidence, 
wearily  swinging  in  the  eccentric  mazes  of  a  putative 
waltz  or  plying  their  blowsy  victims  with  the  stuff  that 
had  already  stolen  their  souls  and  later  would  steal  away 
what  besotted  senses  they  still  held  in  precarious  pos 
session.  It  was  an  old  experience  to  both  of  them  and 
they  looked  listlessly  about  with  the  disinterestedness  of 
bored  familiarity. 

Time  was  when  these  young  men  would  have  entered 
into  the  orgies  with  a  certain  reckless  aplomb;  there 
were  a  few  girls  among  the  throng  who  had  not  yet  lost 
all  their  pristine  comeliness,  who  still  retained  some  few 
pitiful  shreds  of  the  femininity  that  should  have  made 
of  them  the  loving  wives  and  good  mothers  that  Na 
ture's  God  creatively  intended;  but  to-night  none  of 
them  looked  good  to  these  two  not  usually  over-dis 
criminative  animals,  intrepidly  fresh  as  they  were  from 
pasture. 

The  whole  thing  jarred  unaccountably  upon  both  of 
them;  Douglass  looking  disgustedly  at  the  tawdry  sur 
roundings,  at  the  flushed  faces  and  professionally  dis 
played  charms,  felt  a  great  irritation  at  himself  for 
coming  here.  Unconsciously  he  was  comparing  this 
sickening  meretriciousness  with  the  delightful  reserve 


140  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

and  dignity  of  another  environment,  and  he  felt  the 
quick  shame  of  a  schoolboy  detected  in  his  first  illicit 
adventure. 

Red  grunted  telepathically :  "  Gawd,  Ken,  this  yeah's 
a  punk  layout.  Let's  go  out  wheah  it's  clean."  They 
settled  their  score  and  were  in  the  act  of  rising  when 
McVey  touched  Douglass  on  the  arm.  A  woman  had 
just  entered  by  a  side  door  and  was  looking  at  them 
with  a  strange  intentness. 

a  That's  Coogan's  woman,"  said  Red,  in  a  low  voice; 
"  Stunner,  ain't  she !  Wonder  he  stands  fer  her  comin' 
here." 

The  woman  came  forward  with  a  curious  snake-like 
quickness  and  seated  herself  at  the  adjoining  table.  She 
was  a  very  striking  creature,  evidently  one  of  the  higher 
class  Mexicans  occasionally  still  to  be  met  with  on  the 
Colorado  frontier.  She  was  not  more  than  twenty-four 
or  five  years  old,  with  all  the  color  and  voluptuousness 
of  the  younger  women  of  her  race.  Her  hair  and  eyes 
were  of  a  peculiar  blue-black  color,  her  complexion  or 
dinarily  very  light  olive  with  carmine  cheek  tints  but 
now  exhibiting  a  pallor  that  only  intensified  the  gleam 
in  her  big  eyes.  She  was  neither  painted  nor  powdered, 
as  both  men  noted  approvingly,  and  was  finely  gowned 
in  a  modest,  though  expensive  style.  The  only  inhar 
monious  thing  in  her  entourage  was  the  blaze  of  the 
diamonds  with  which  she  was  lavishly  bedecked. 

She  ordered  brandy,  and  when  it  was  brought  drank 
it  with  reckless  haste  and  called  for  more.  Twice  was 
her  glass  refilled,  and  the  fiery  stimulant  flushed  her 


FRENZIED  FINANCE  141 

face.  At  the  third  serving  she  paid  the  waiter  and 
shudderingly  pushed  the  glass  away  with  every  evidence 
of  disgust. 

To  Douglass,  watching  her  out  of  the  corner  of  his 
eye,  for  somehow,  her  manner  did  not  invite  the  leer 
customary  on  such  occasions,  she  turned  suddenly : 

"You  are  the  Senor  Douglass  of  Rancho  C  Bar?" 

Her  voice,  though  very  musical  and  low-pitched,  was 
tensely  strained.  As  it  was  apparent  that  her  English, 
though  correct,  was  labored,  he  answered,  hat  in  hand, 
in  her  own  tongue : 

"A  las  pies  de  usted,  Senorita."  (At  your  feet, 
Miss.) 

She  smiled  gratefully,  as  much  at  his  courteous  con 
sideration  as  in  her  relief  at  his  knowledge  of  her 
tongue  and  its  social  ethics. 

" Bese  listed  las  manos,  Senor"  (My  hands  for 
your  kisses,  Sir.) 

Red  looked  his  appreciation  of  her  favor;  they  were 
very  pretty  hands,  and  while  he  was  not  "  up  "  in  the 
flowery  etiquette  of  sunny  Spain,  he  understood  its  lan 
guage  indifferently  well.  "  Ken's  shore  thu  luckiest 
devil  on  yearth !  "  he  muttered  under  his  breath,  en 
viously.  It  soon  developed,  however,  that  his  hastily- 
formed  conclusions  were  at  fault.  As  he  in  duty  bound 
slowly  rose  to  his  feet  with  a  studious,  "  Well,  I  mus'  be 
goin' —  see  you  lateh,"  she  protestingly  laid  her  hand  on 
his  arm. 

"  But  no,  Senor.  It  is  that  I  wish  to  have  the  speech 
wis  you  bot' — but  not  here."  She  looked  around  in 


i42          THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

sudden  alarm.  "  Can  you  to  my  room  graciously  come? 
I  live  in  the  hotel."  Her  manner  was  pleading  and 
eager. 

The  eyes  of  the  men  met  inquiringly.  Red  unos 
tentatiously  flecked  a  speck  of  dust  from  a  slight  bulge 
in  his  coat  under  the  left  armpit.  Douglass  tentatively 
placed  his  hand  in  the  side  pocket  of  IMS  reefer.  Then 
as  one  man  they  both  answered.  "  Why,  certainly, 
Senorita." 

"  In  an  hour,  then.  Come  carefully.  Numero  9, 
the  one  mos'  far  in  the  hall.  I  go  first,  now."  And 
without  further  look  at  them  she  went  out  as  unobtru 
sively  as  she  had  entered.  Red  calmly  confiscated  her 
rejected  glass  of  brandy. 

"  Shame  to  waste  good  likker,  'specially  when  it's 
paid  fer.  What's  yuh  ijea,  Ken,  a  plant?" 

**  Damfino !  She's  all  worked  up  over  something, 
that's  sure.  Well,  it's  all  in  the  game."  Then,  with 
an  inscrutable  and  not  altogether  pleasant  flicker  in  his 
eyes,  "  Not  a  bad  looker,  eh,  Red?  " 

McVey  emptied  the  glass.  "  Brandy's  hell  foh  a 
woman,"  was  his  enigmatical  reply. 

An  hour  later  they  gained  her  apartments  unob 
served,  the  hotel  corridors  being  deserted  at  that  hour. 
She  had  changed  her  gown  and  received  them  in  a 
charming  half-neglige  of  some  filmy  white  stuff  that  set 
off  her  dark  beauty  ravishingly.  Her  eyes  were  out- 
gleaming  her  diamonds  but  her  manner  was  quiet  and 
composed. 

They  sat  down  and  respectfully  awaited  her  pleasure ; 


FRENZIED  FINANCE  143 

but  every  article  in  that  room  could  have  been  accurately 
catalogued  by  either  man.  There  was  only  one  door 
in  the  room  besides  the  one  through  which  they  had 
entered  and  that  stood  partly  ajar,  revealing  beyond  a 
luxuriously  furnished  bedroom.  A  large  double  win 
dow  gave  down  on  the  main  street;  one-half  of  it  was 
closely  curtained,  but  the  hangings  of  the  other  was 
looped  aside,  and  for  a  time  she  stood  beside  it  looking 
down  into  the  squalid  street.  Suddenly  she  drew  the 
curtains  close  and  with  a  strength  hardly  to  be  looked 
for  in  that  slender  wrist,  whirled  a  heavy  Morris  chair 
directly  before  them  and  seated  herself. 

For  a  full  minute  she  regarded  them  intently  through 
half-closed  eyes  and  then,  addressing  herself  to  Doug 
lass,  but  keeping  her  eyes  for  the  greater  part  of 
the  time  on  McVey,  she  said  slowly  in  her  soft  mother 
tongue : 

"  Your  friend  understands  Spanish?  " 

"  Sufficiently,  Senorita,"  assured  Red,  "  to  follow 
your  conversation." 

"  It  is  well,"  she  said  quietly,  "  but  your  address  flat 
ters  me.  I  am  Senora,  not  Senorita."  She  held  out 
her  left  hand  with  a  curiously  proud  gesture;  on  the 
third  finger  v/as  a  heavy  plain  band  of  dull  gold. 

"I  am  desolated  —  madame,"  said  Red,  instantly. 
Douglass  bowed  his  polite  acceptance  of  the  correction. 

"  Yes,"  she  went  on  wearily,  "I  am  a  married 
woman,  no  matter  what  the  world,  what  you  may  think. 
The  ceremony  was  performed  by  the  Jefe  Politico  of 
Ameca,  my  natal  town,  though  not  solemnized  by  the 


i44  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

church.  There  was  a  witness,  but  he  is  dead  now.  It 
was  Pedro  Rodriguez,  the  man  you  killed  the  night  he 
and  Sefior  Matlock  burned  the  hay  on  your  rancho." 

In  the  tense  silence  which  followed,  the  ticking  of 
Douglass's  watch  was  distinctly  audible.  Red's  hand, 
fumbling  with  his  watch  chain,  went  up  swiftly  to  his 
armpit;  but  Douglass,  interpreting  her  even  intonation 
more  correctly,  never  moved  a  muscle.  She  smiled  re 
assuringly  at  McVey: 

"  Nay,  Senor.  There  is  nothing  to  —  to  regret. 
He  was  a  dog  —  and  I  love  you  for  it."  The  hand 
sank  to  his  knee  and  he  flushed  slightly. 

"  I  was  only  a  young  girl,"  she  went  on  rapidly, 
"  and  he  was  as  big  and  as  fair  as  his  words.  My 
mother  was  dead,  my  father  engrossed  with  business 
cares:  he  was  owner  of  the  '  San  Christobal '  mine.  I 
met  him  at  night,  for  my  father  liked  him  not  and  for 
bade  me.  It  was  my  first  affair,  and  I  thought  I  loved 
him."  She  laughed,  a  mirthless  sibilance  that  was  mar- 
velously  like  a  snake's  hissing,  her  eyes  hard  and  dry. 

"  I  had  a  brother,  an  only  one,  Rafael.  He  was 
very  dear  to  me  and  loved  me  greatly.  He  was,  of  the 
mine  —  what  do  you  name  it,  the  one  who  holds  and 
pays  the  monies?  Ah,  mil  gracias!  the  '  treasurer.' 
He  was  of  the  lively  the  liveliest  and  played  much  at 
the  cards.  And  Don  Bartholomew  was  of  his  friends 
the  most  esteemed.  We  knew  not  then  that  he  made 
his  living  so :  he  had  come  to  buy  lands,  he  said,  and  he 
had  letters,  many  from  great  men;  they  were  not  writ 
ten  by  those  whose  names  they  bore  as  I  know  now,  but 


FRENZIED  FINANCE  145 

we  of  Mejico  know  little  of  such  things  and  trusted  him 
fully. 

"  Then,  one  night,  mi  padre  discovered  me  in  his 
arms  and  there  was  much  sorrow.  I  was  to  the  casa 
confined  and  to  him  was  said  that  we  should  see  him  no 
more.  But  you  know  our  adage :  '  No  ay  cerradura  si 
es  de  oro  la  ganzua '  (there  is  no  lock  but  that  will  open 
to  a  golden  key),  and  Pedro  Rodriguez,  our  servidor, 
was  very  poor.  Like  Eve,  I  listened  to  the  serpent's 
voice;  I  was  very  young." 

She  covered  her  face  with  her  hands  and  again  the 
silence  fell;  Red  licked  his  lips  nervously:  "  The 
damned  caterpillar!  "  he  ejaculated.  She  roused  at 
that  and  her  manner  changed.  She  seemed  to  speak 
mechanically  and  her  words  fell  like  drops  of  ice : 

"  One  night  he  came  in  great  haste  and  said  that  we 
must  fly  at  once;  a  great  trouble  had  come  to  him  and 
his  life  was  in  peril.  I  had  to  marry  him,  you  under 
stand,  and  I  had  no  other  choice.  We  went  to  the 
magistrate  —  he  swore  that  we  would  be  remarried  by 
a  priest  of  my  faith  when  we  reached  his  land,  and  so  I 
consented.  My  father  was  absent  and  my  brother  — 
Oh!  Rafael!  "  She  broke  down  and  sobbed  bitterly. 
Red  cursed  aloud. 

Of  a  sudden  she  calmed;  her  eyes  were  hot  but  her 
voice  was  cold  and  emotionless.  "  Not  until  yesterday 
did  I  know  that  on  that  very  night  he  had  robbed  my 
brother  at  cards  and  treacherously  shot  him  dead  when 
his  guilt  was  discovered.  My  father,  thinking  I  knew 
all  —  God,  give  me  vengeance  on  this  man  —  died 


146  THE  SONG  OF.  THE  WOLF 

two  weeks  ago,  cursing  me  with  his  last  breath.  I  had 
it  from  an  old  acquaintance  whom  I  met  here  all  unex 
pectedly  yesterday  morn.  They  never  answered  my 
letters  you  know,  and  I  dared  not  return.  The  child 
was  dead  born. 

l<  The  life  with  him  has  been  hell.  I  had  to  live, 
and  he  was  liberal  in  his  brutal  way.  Long  ago  I 
learned  from  Pedro  that  he  was  robbing  you,  but  for 
that  I  cared  nothing.  The  men  of  your  race  have  given 
me  blood  and  gall  to  drink,  and  the  thought  of  your 
wrongs  was  bitterly  sweet  to  me;  it  would  have  been 
sweeter  had  your  lives  gone  with  it." 

They  looked  at  her  entirely  without  resentment;  this 
was  something  they  could  understand.  Douglass  felt 
a  great  sympathy  for  her,  but  Red  was  revolving  some 
thing  in  his  mind  that  made  his  eyes  gleam  evilly. 

"  Yesterday  I  upbraided  him  with  the  truth.  God 
knows  what  I  said,  for  my  heart  was  hot  and  I  think 
I  was  mad.  He  was  devil  enough  to  admit  all,  and 
taunt  me  with  my  helplessness.  We  are  of  a  passionate 
blood,  we  people  of  the  South,  and  I  tried — . 
Enough!  He  beat  me  —  me,  Dolores  Ysobel  de  Te- 
jada !  May  his  soul  writhe  In  hell  until  I  lave  his  ac 
cursed  lips !  "  Her  venomous  fury  was  not  shrill  and 
vociferous;  instead,  it  was  cold  and  low-voiced,  but 
Douglass  breathed  hard  and  Red  clenched  his  lips, 
watching  it.  She  sprang  impulsively  to  her  feet  and 
tore  violently  at  her  bodice.  As  the  thin  silk  ripped 
away  they  saw  that  arms,  neck  and  breasts  were  purple 
with  bruises. 

She  came  closer,  thrusting  her  shame  into  their  very 


FRENZIED  FINANCE  147 

faces.  "  See !  "  she  hissed,  "  the  chivalry  of  the  Amer 
ican  gringo !  Do  you  Yanquis  treat  all  your  women  so 
tenderly,  caballeros?  " 

Douglass's  face  hardened  resentfully.  "  We  are  not 
all  Coogans,  Senora.  Be  seated,  please,  and  for  God's 
sake,  cover  up  that  horror !  And  now  —  why  do  you 
tell  us  this?" 

"  So  that  you  will  kill  him  —  for  a  price." 

Red  laughed  harshly.  "  By  Gawd !  Madame  Do 
lores  Ysobel  de  Tajeda  —  or  Coogan,  whatever  yuah 
name  is,  I'd  giv'  a  better  price  ef  yuh  was  able  to  tuhn 
yuhself  into  a  man  fer  a  couple  o'  minnits.  What 
d'yuh  take  us  fer,  greasers?"  But  Douglass,  his  own 
face  very  white  and  hard  set,  asked  quietly,  with  an 
eager  interest  in  his  calm  voice : 

"  And  the  price,  Senora?  " 

"  I  will  give  him  into  your  hands,"  she  said  coolly, 
"  I  have  letters,  some  from  Matlock,  which  he  thought 
destroyed,  and  two  from  him  to  Matlock  which  were 
missent  and  returned  here.  In  his  absence,  I  received 
and  kept  them.  I  have  also  one  from  Rodriguez  ask 
ing  me  for  money  and  threatening  me  with  exposure 
if  I  denied  him.  They  are  enough  to  prove  your  case 
and  give  you  justification  for  killing  him." 

Douglass  rose  quietly.  "  You  do  me  much  honor, 
Senora.  But  I  think  your  acquaintance  with  American 
men  is,  after  all,  very  inconsiderable."  And  with  a 
stiff  inclination  he  left  the  room. 

She  ran  after  him  impulsively  but  at  the  threshold 
of  the  door  she  paused.  Then  she  swiftly  returned 
and  gently  pushed  Red  down  into  the  seat  from  which 


148  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

he  had  arisen.  "  Wait  —  a  single  little  moment, 
Serior,  I  beg  of  you.  I  will  return  immediately." 
She  ran  into  the  bedroom  and  he  heard  a  swift  rustling. 
In  ten  minutes  she  returned,  bearing  in  her  hands  a 
packet  of  letters.  She  had  in  some  marvelous  way  suc 
ceeded  in  rerobing  herself  and  was  now  arrayed  in  an 
exquisite  tea  gown  which  made  Red's  eyes  light  up  with 
admiration.  Inwardly  exulting  at  the  success  of  her 
experiment,  she  sat  down  close  beside  him  on  the  divan 
and  rapidly  opened  the  letters. 

At  her  insistence  he  took  them,  though  very  reluc 
tantly,  and  perfunctorily  scanned  their  contents.  Then 
he  reread  them  with  deliberate  care,  hesitated  for  a  mo 
ment  and  then  thrust  them  in  his  breast  pocket. 

"  I  reckon  I'll  keep  these  for  a  few  days  at  least; 
they  may  come  in  handy." 

"  It  is  your  right,  Senor  McVey.  And  now  there  is 
more  that  you  must  know.  They  have  sworn  the  death 
of  yourself  and  friend:  his  because  he  stands  between 
them  and  their  thefts  and  has  brought  to  black  shame 
the  man  Matlock;  yours  because  you  did  slay  the  jackal 
of  my  husband.  Do  you  know  that  in  the  hands  of  the 
sheriff  there  is  a  warrant  for  the  arrest  of  you  both, 
sworn  out  by  my  husband,  charging  you  with  murder, 
and  the  Senor  Douglass  with  being  accessory  thereto? 
It  is  the  plan  to  have  you  in  the  weak  jail  confined  — 
one  single  night  will  serve  their  purpose  —  and  when 
your  friends  come  the  next  morning  it  will  be  too  late. 
The  sheriff  is  a  weakling,  as  you  know  —  worse,  he  is  as 
wax  in  the  hands  of  Bartholomew,  who  did  win  from 
him  at  cards  much  treasure  that  is  to  the  county  be- 


FRENZIED  FINANCE  149 

longing,  though  why  that  should  be  cause  to  make  him 
lick  my  husband's  hand  I  can  not  understand.  Maybe 
you,  a  man,  do  know?  And  while  two  unarmed  men 
are  striving  with  those  who  will  do  my  husband's  bid 
ding  —  even  now  has  he  gone  to  summons  them,  your 
coming  being  known  to  him  through  a  spy  who  rode 
faster  than  you  —  yet  others  will  be  sent  to  your  rancho 
to  burn  and  destroy." 

McVey  stifled  a  great  oath.  "  You  are  givin'  me 
straight  dope?"  His  strong  hand  was  crushing  her 
soft  arm. 

"  As  Heaven  is  my  witness,  Senor.  I  swear  it  by 
the  memory  of  my  dead!  " 

"  Do  you  know  when  thu  warrant  is  ter  be  served?  " 
The  question  was  curt  and  imperative. 

"  At  nightfall,  as  soon  as  Bartholomew  arrives  with 
his  fellows." 

For  a  while  he  deliberated  in  silence,  but  into  the 
woman's  eyes  crept  triumph  at  sight  of  the  grimly  com 
pressed  lips  and  wrinkled  brow.  Then  as  she  watched 
it  was  commingled  with  another  expression  that  boded 
ill  for  the  honor  as  well  as  the  fortunes  of  Big  Bart 
Coogan. 

"  I  reckon  I'll  say  adios,  Senora,"  he  said  finally. 
"  I  have  things  to  attend  to.  When  can  I  see  you 
again?  " 

Her  raven  locks  brushed  his  as  she  bent  forward  to 
look  at  the  tiny  jeweled  chatelaine  watch  on  her  bodice. 

"  It  is  yet  scarcely  ten  of  the  clock,"  she  murmured, 
coyly  dropping  her  eyes.  "  The  night  is  young." 

His  veins  ran  fire.     The  woman  was  very  beautiful. 


150          THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

Douglass  nodded  confirmation  as  Red  told  him  her 
story  five  minutes  later.  "  Just  got  a  tip  myself  from 
Barton,"  he  observed  calmly.  Barton  was  the  clerk  of 
the  court  from  which  the  warrant  had  issued,  and  as  it 
happened,  was  an  old  college  mate  of  Douglass  and  his 
personal  friend.  He  was  not  in  sympathy  with  the  ring 
of  grafters  dominating  the  county  offices,  and  had  has 
tened  to  Douglass's  enlightenment  as  soon  as  he  learned 
of  his  arrival. 

"  They  don't  aim  to  give  you  a  chance  to  secure  bail 
for  at  least  one  night,"  he  said  significantly,  "  and 
while  that  may  not  mean  anything  in  particular,  I 
thought  you  had  better  be  put  '  wise.'  And  I've  taken 
the  liberty  of  asking  Strang  to  send  up  three  or  four 
fellows  from  the  Lazy  K  to-morrow.  Hope  you  won't 
think  me  officious,  old  man;  I  thought  it  best  to  be  on 
the  safe  side."  Strang  was  a  particular  friend  of  both 
men. 

Douglass  smashed  his  fist  in  silent  gratitude.  "  Guess 
we'll  manage  to  give  them  a  run  for  their  money. 
Have  a  cigar?  " 

"  I've  got  those  letters,  Ken,"  said  Red  casually. 
"  Better  read  'em  oveh ;  they  shore  are  interestin'  lit'r- 
achure.  Thu  gettin'  of  'em  ain't  obleegated  yuh  none, 
an'  mahself  hawdly  enough  ter  talk  about.  Naw,  I 
didn't  promise  ter  cook  hes  goose,"  meeting  the  other's 
eyes  squarely;  "I'm  engagin'  in  anotheh  kind  o'  fren 
zied  fee-nawnce'  altogetheh.  Yuh  hunt  yuh  leetle  baid 
an'  gatheh  strength  fer  to-morrer's  stren-u-hossity.  I'm 
goin'  on  night-herd  mahself." 


FRENZIED  FINANCE  151 

Douglass  wheeled  sharply.  c<  Yuh  are  not  going 
to—?" 

Red  fumbled  in  the  pocket  of  his  shirt.  "  I'm  agoin' 
ter  ask  yuh  ter  keep  suthin'  fer  me  to-night."  With 
out  raising  his  eyes  he  laid  in  Douglass's  hand  a  small 
parcel  wrapped  in  his  best  silk  handkerchief.  "  I  want 
ter  keep  it  clean !  "  he  muttered. 


CHAPTER  XII 
NOT  STRICTLY  ACCORDING  TO  PROGRAM 

As  they  emerged  from  the  dining-room  the  next 
morning  they  were  greeted  by  a  short  but  sturdily  built 
man  whose  deeply-set  blue  eyes  lighted  up  as  he  slapped 
Douglass  familiarly  on  the  shoulder.  It  was  Dave 
Strang,  foreman  of  the  Lazy  K  outfit  on  Cibolla  Creek. 

"  Why,  yuh  old  son  of  a  gun,  wheah  d'yuah  drap 
from  ?  "  asked  Red,  with  a  portentous  wink.  Doug 
lass  had  just  informed  him  of  Barton's  message  and  his 
remark  was  for  the  benefit  of  the  loungers  about  the 
stove,  among  whom  he  had  reason  to  believe  were  some 
of  Coogan's  familiars.  He  deemed  it  best  to  have 
them  under  the  impression  that  the  encounter  was  one 
of  pure  chance;  being  an  enthusiastic  devotee  at  the 
shrine  of  "  stud  poker,"  he  believed  in  keeping  inviolate 
the  suit  and  value  of  his  buried  card. 

"  Oh,  just  been  atrailing  and  got  plumb  wore  out 
fer  a  look  at  suthin'  besides  sagebrush,"  answered 
Strang,  easily;  he  had  a  few  cards  up  his  sleeve,  him 
self.  "  What  brings  yuh  fellows  inter  thu  temptations 
of  thu  meetropoliss?  Don't  yuh  know  thet  this  is  thu 
home  of  the  devourin'  lion  an'  thu  laih  o'  thu  feroshus 
tigeh?  Come  an'  look  at  yeh  innercent  selfs  in  thu 
bottom  of  a  glass !  " 

152 


NOT  ACCORDING  TO  PROGRAM     153 

As  they  lined  up  at  the  bar  Strang  said  quickly,  in 
an  undertone.  "  Six  of  us  heah  by  dark.  What's  thu 
game?" 

"  Come  up  to  my  room  in  an  hour  or  two  and  I'll 
put  you  next,"  said  Douglass,  cautiously;  "  some  of  this 
gang  is  keeping  tab  on  us."  Then  he  turned  to  the 
crowd  politely:  "  Will  you  gentlemen  join  us?  This 
is  on  me,  Dave;  no  foolishness!  " 

After  a  few  desultory  commonplaces,  during  which 
Strang  intimated  that  he  would  be  in  town  only  a  few 
hours,  Douglass  said,  casually,  "  Drop  in  and  see  us  be 
fore  you  go  out,  Dave.  Been  a  long  time  since  we  had 
a  talk.  "  Strang  looked  doubtful. 

"  I  only  aim  to  stay  till  thu  mail  comes  in  an'  I  got 
a  heap  ter  do.  Mebby  I  kin  spah  a  few  minnits." 
Then  he  treated  the  crowd  in  turn  with  a  noncha 
lant,  "  Well,  so  'long!  "  hitched  up  his  belt  and  strolled 
out. 

Up  at  the  post  office  he  met  them  a  few  minutes  later. 
"  I'll  be  on  deck  in  your  room  in  an  hour.  I'll  go  there 
first,  ahead  of  you." 

They  found  him  there  at  the  appointed  time  and  he 
was  soon  in  possession  of  all  the  facts.  Douglass's 
plan  was  quickly  stated : 

"We'll  let  them  arrest  us  without  any  suspicious 
resistance.  Of  course  they'll  make  us  give  up  our  guns, 
but  they  won't  get  these,"  tapping  his  pocket  and  belt; 
"  we'll  buy  a  pair  of  cheap  guns  for  them  to  relieve  us 
of  —  our  own  guns  will  be  in  Barton's  hands  at  noon. 
He  will  make  some  excuse  to  come  in  and  see  us,  bring 
ing  our  guns  with  him.  We  have  a  hundred  shells 


154          THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

apiece.  I  think  their  scheme  is  to  shoot  us  first  so  as 
to  make  sure,  and  hang  us  afterward  so  as  to  make  it 
look  like  a  lynching.  I  think  they  will  mostly  all  be 
greasers,  friends  of  Rodriguez,  with  a  sprinkling  of 
Coogan's  curs  to  keep  them  to  the  work.  We  may  not 
need  you  boys,  but  we  are  sure  thankful  for  your  good 
will !  With  eight  of  us  it  would  be  child's  play." 

"  D'yuh  reckon  Matlock'll  be  among  thu  bunch?" 
asked  Red,  hopefully. 

"  Not  he!  "  scornfully  said  Douglass.  "  He  hasn't 
sand  enough  to  face  a  full-grown  man's  gun.  He'll  be 
down  at  the  Palace  with  Coogan  when  the  fun  starts, 
so  as  to  establish  an  alibi.  This  is  to  be  a  Roman  holi 
day,  you  understand,  with  the  *  Roman '  spelled 
g-r-e-a-s-e-r !  Pity  to  spoil  such  a  pretty  scheme,  eh?  " 

Just  then  there  was  a  rap  at  the  door.  Red  opened 
it  and  in  entered  one  Lew  Ballard,  on  whose  neck  they 
fell  with  much  profane  acclamation.  He  was  United 
States  Marshall  for  that  district,  an  old  cowpuncher 
and  a  warm  friend  of  the  trio.  He  grinned  compre 
hensively  at  the  three  conspirators. 

"  What's  this  fairy  story  about  a  portending  lynching 
that  Barton's  been  stuffing  me  with?  "  he  asked,  pleas 
antly.  When  they  had  told  him  he  slapped  his  thigh 
with  enjoyment.  "  Say,  it  reads  just  like  a  book! 
Gawd!  to  think  I  can't  take  a  hand  in  it!  "  Then  a 
thought  struck  him  and  he  roared.  "  Say,  I've  got  a 
scheme  that  will  put  the  cap-sheaf  on  the  stack!  " 

"  First  of  all,  I'll  swear  the  whole  bunch  of  you  in 
as  deputy  United  States  marshals.  Then  I'll  arrest 
two  of  your  boys,  Strang,  on  some  charge  or  another 


NOT  ACCORDING  TO  PROGRAM     155 

and  get  them  in  jail  a  few  minutes  before  the  mob 
comes.  The  other  four  you  will  hold  in  readiness  out 
side.  We'll  switch  cells  and  when  the  greasers  get 
inside  we'll  lock  them  up  in  your  places  and  you  can  go 
down  and  pass  the  time  of  day  with  your  friend  Coogan. 
Gawd!  won't  he  be  glad  to  see  you!  I  forgot  to  say 
that  Barton  has  already  sent  a  rider  over  to  the  C  Bar 
to  put  the  boys  wise  to  the  gang  that's  going  down  there. 
Gee,  but  this  will  be  a  great  night  for  Mexico !  " 

So  it  was  arranged.  The  marshall  went  out  and 
secured  two  extra  revolvers  and  the  C  Bar  arsenal  was 
turned  over  to  Barton.  Strang  went  to  instruct  his 
men,  and  the  two  prospective  victims  pretended  to  get 
royally  drunk  so  as  to  allay  any  suspicion.  They  played 
their  parts  so  well  that  Coogan  was  completely  taken 
in.  With  these  two  fools  drunk  it  was  a  veritable 
cinch,  he  thought.  Matlock,  for  some  occult  reason, 
was  not  so  sanguine.  He  would  be  more  at  ease  when 
it  was  all  over  and  he  shrewdly  made  arrangements  for 
a  hasty  departure  in  case  of  mishap. 

It  was  nearly  ten  o'clock  before  the  chicken-hearted 
sheriff  deemed  the  two  cowpunchers  sufficiently  drunk 
enough  to  take  chances  with.  At  that  hour  he  valiantly 
descended  upon  the  Red  Light  saloon  with  a  full  posse 
and  accomplished  the  arrest  with  scarcely  any  difficulty, 
the  only  casualty  being  to  the  sheriff's  nose,  which  Red 
could  not  help  flattening  with  the  butt  of  his  six-shooter. 

Emerging  from  the  jail  after  the  incarceration  of  his 
prisoners,  the  sheriff  encountered  Marshall  Ballard  in 
charge  of  two  heavily-ironed  captives  whom  he  was 
exultantly  informed  were  two  dangerous  counterfeiters. 


156  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

He  overheard  the  marshall  request  the  turnkey  to  place 
them  in  the  steel  dungeon  in  the  basement,  as  they  were 
important  prisoners  and  very  dangerous  characters. 
He  waited  until  the  marshall  rejoined  him  and  invited 
that  official  to  have  a  night-cap,  remarking  that  he  was 
tired  and  would  "  hit  the  hay "  without  unseemly 
delay.  Could  he  have  known  that  at  the  moment  of 
lifting  his  glass,  Red  McVey  was  sitting  astride  of  the 
turnkey's  neck,  industriously  engaged  in  stuffing  his  silk 
neckerchief  into  that  worthy's  capacious  mouth,  the  An 
gostura  in  his  cocktail  would  have  turned  to  gall. 

Down  at  the  Palace  with  exaggerated  ostentation 
Coogan  and  Matlock  were  seated  in  the  main  gambling 
room  where  their  presence  was  very  conspicuous ;  Mat- 
lock  was  nervous,  but  veiled  his  agitation  under  a  stream 
of  profanity  that  grew  more  and  more  vicious  as  the 
hours  dragged  along.  His  subterfuge  did  not  deceive 
his  more  hardened  accomplice,  who  looked  at  him  with 
cynical  contempt.  Could  Matlock  have  known  the 
dark  thoughts  brooking  in  the  evil  mind  of  the  big 
gambler,  he  would  have  sworn  even  more  affrightedly. 

"  That  cur  is  getting  dangerous,"  Big  Bart  was  think 
ing.  "  He'd  squeal  any  time  to  save  his  own  cursed 
neck,  and  he  knows  too  much  I  I'll  attend  to  his  case 
when  this  affair  blows  over."  From  under  his  shaggy 
eyebrows  he  regarded  his  confederate  evilly;  of  genuine 
courage  he  had  no  dread,  but  of  this  man's  moral  as 
well  as  physical  cowardice  he  was  growing  more  and 
more  afraid.  The  consummation  of  their  present  plot 
would  only  plunge  him  deeper  into  the  toils  of  the  law 
if  Matlock  should,  in  case  of  exposure,  turn  State's  evi- 


NOT  ACCORDING  TO  PROGRAM     157 

dence.  For  another  reason  he  was  strangely  per 
turbed;  that  afternoon  he  had  seen  a  face  which  was 
irritatingly  familiar  but  which  he  could  not  correctly 
place.  In  his  avocation  there  are  only  two  facial  class 
ifications:  those  of  absolute  strangers,  which  are  to  be 
studied  with  care,  and  those  of  people  well  known,  which 
are  to  be  watched  jealously.  A  gambler  dare  risk  no 
middle  path  in  the  physiognomy  of  his  acquaintances; 
he  must  either  know  a  face  well  or  it  must  be  that  of  a 
total  stranger.  And  for  the  life  of  him  he  could  not 
remember  the  time  and  place  where  he  had  formerly 
encountered  it.  Somehow  he  felt  a  presentiment  of 
coming  evil  and  he  chafed  under  it.  To-morrow  he 
would  make  it  his  business  to  find  out  who  and  what 
that  dignified  old  Mexican  was! 

As  he  registered  this  mental  resolution,  the  door 
opened  and  in  walked  the  object  of  his  cogitations;  he 
was  accompanied  by  Lew  Ballard  and  another  Mexican 
at  sight  of  whom  Coogan  paled  perceptibly.  He  knew 
them  both  now!  The  elder  man  was  Don  Ramon 
Seguro,  joint  owner  of  the  San  Christobal  mine;  the 
other  was  Don  Luis  Garcia,  sheriff  of  Jalisco. 

Coogan  was  no  coward;  he  had  been  in  many  a  tight 
place  before  and  escaped  by  reason  of  his  brute  courage 
and  herculean  strength.  He  furtively  felt  of  his  hip 
pocket,  then  quietly  arose  and  went  forward  with  ex 
tended  hand.  They  had  no  proof  of  his  killing  Rafael 
de  Tejada,  he  thought  rapidly;  the  only  eyewitness, 
Pedro  Rodriguez,  was  dead;  and  he  could  fight  ex 
tradition  until  such  time  as  he  could  make  his  escape. 
He  resolved  to  brazen  it  out. 


158          THE  SONG  OE  THE  WOLF 

Affecting  not  to  know  the  Mexicans,  he  shook  Bal- 
lard's  hand  cordially.  "  Ah,  good  evening,  Mr.  Bal- 
lard.  I  was  just  going  to  open  a  bottle  in  my  private 
office.  Will  your  friends  join  us?"  The  marshall 
and  his  friends  would  be  delighted!  Ballard  nodded 
casually  to  Matlock  as  they  passed  him.  For  some 
reason  Coogan  did  not  include  him  in  the  invitation. 

At  the  moment  of  opening  the  wine  they  heard  in 
the  distance  the  faint  rattle  of  a  fusillade  of  pistol  shots. 
The  Mexicans  looked  inquiringly  at  Ballard  but  he  dis 
missed  the  matter  with  a  careless,  "  Oh,  just  some 
drunken  bunch  of  cowpunchers  or  railroad  tarriers  with 
more  ammunition  than  sense;  that  kind  of  thing  is  get 
ting  altogether  too  prevalent;  the  authorities  ought  to 
put  a  stop  to  it!  Say,  that's  a  dandy  bottle  of  fizz, 
Coogan !  Do  you  drink  of  the  wines  of  Champagne 
much  in  Ameca,  Senores?"  His  Spanish  was  perfect, 
his  voice  and  manner  conventionally  pleasant.  On 
Coogan's  brow  was  the  glisten  of  a  dense  perspiration; 
Ballard  covered  his  mouth  with  his  hand  to  hide  a  cyni 
cal  smile. 

Just  as  the  glasses  were  filled  there  came  from  the 
rear  of  the  saloon  the  rasping  grate  of  a  startled  oath, 
succeeded  by  the  hoof  thuds  of  a  rapidly-ridden  horse. 
Coogan,  involuntarily  pushing  aside  the  window  blinds, 
cursed  scornfully  under  his  breath.  "  Got  rattled  and 
is  hiking  out  for  the  timber,  the  cowardly  dog!  That 
settles  his  hash !  "  The  rider  was  Matlock  and  he 
seemed  to  be  in  a  hurry. 

As  Coogan  turned  his  back  the  Mexican  sheriff  made 
a  quick  motion  toward  his  hip  but  Ballard  warningly 


NOT  ACCORDING  TO  PROGRAM      159 

caught  his  arm.  "Wait I"  he  breathed,  "there  is 
much  sport  toward.  There  will  be  those  here  soon  who 
will  do  amusing  things."  Coogan  flashed  around  in 
quick  suspicion,  angered  to  think  that  for  one  moment 
he  had  foolishly  relaxed  his  guard,  but  Ballard  was  se 
renely  lighting  his  cigarette  at  that  of  Don  Luis  and  the 
glass  of  Don  Ramon  was  just  descending  from  his  lips. 
When  the  wine  was  finished,  Ballard  insisted  on  or 
dering  another  bottle  at  his  expense;  this  was  followed 
by  a  third  at  the  insistence  of  Don  Luis.  As  the  bub 
bles  frothed  over  the  crystal  rims,  Coogan,  either  from 
pure  nerve  or  fearful  bravado,  raised  his  glass.  "  A 
toast,  gentlemen: 

"Here's  to  good  health  and  untroubled  mind; 
Here's  to  good  luck  and  fame ; 
Here's  to  the  girl  that  is  fair  and  kind; 
And  here's  to  the  man  who  is  game !  " 

"  A  toast  worthy  of  another  bottle,  especially  the 
last  clause,"  said  an  approving  voice  in  the  doorway, 
and  at  sight  of  Ken  Douglass  standing  there  smiling, 
Coogan's  glass  crashed  on  the  floor  as  his  hand  flew  to 
his  hip  pocket. 

"  Easy,  Bart !  "  There  was  no  mirth  in  the  eye 
gleaming  menacingly  behind  the  sights  of  the  heavy  .44 
aligned  so  steadily  upon  the  heart  of  the  man  into  whose 
eyes  had  crept  a  superstitious  terror  at  the  sight  of  one 
risen  from  the  dead.  "  Put  both  your  hands  on  the 
table !  Both,  I  said !  There,  that's  more  sensible ! 
Mr.  McVey,  may  I  trouble  you  to  remove  that  exceed 
ingly  uncomfortable  thing  from  Mr.  Coogan's  pocket? 
It  seems  to  be  giving  him  a  world  of  trouble  and  it 


160          THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

will  be  in  his  way  when  he  sits  down  to  talk  with  me." 

Coogan's  face  was  ashen  as  Red  lounged  languidly 
into  sight;  the  sweat  poured  down  his  cheeks  in  a  stream 
and  his  lips  opened  and  shut  convulsively.  He  was 
trembling  all  over  as  Red  unconcernedly  walked  be 
hind  him  and  relieved  him  of  the  weapon,  which  he  put 
in  his  own  pocket.  On  Don  Luis's  face  was  a  great 
contempt  and  Ballard  was  grinning  broadly. 

"  Now  the  derringers,  Red,  two  of  them,  in  his  pants' 
pockets.  You  will  excuse  the  liberty,  Mr.  Coogan,  but 
accidents  will  happen  occasionally  and  I  wouldn't  have 
you  hurt  yourself  for  the  world!  We  are  going  to 
have  a  quiet  little  gentlemen's  game  of  cards,  you  and  I, 
and  we  don't  want  our  foreign  friends  here  to  get  a 
false  impression  about  the  ethics  of  our  great  national 
game.  Sit  down,  please  1  "  Coogan  dropped  nerve 
lessly  into  his  chair. 

At  a  sign  from  Douglass,  there  entered  into  the  room 
a  cowboy  bearing  three  beef-hides  which  he  laid  on  the 
table.  As  Douglass  spread  them  flesh  side  up  the 
Mexicans  looked  significantly  at  each  other;  they  were 
both  experienced  cowmen  and  the  altered  brands  told 
their  own  tale. 

Upon  the  skins  Douglass  laid  successively  a  handful 
of  gold  coin  and  a  packet  of  letters;  opening  the  string 
which  bound  the  latter  he  spread  them  out  separately 
so  that  their  signatures  were  easily  read  by  the  white- 
faced  fellow  sitting  opposite  to  him.  Then  he  turned 
to  Strang,  who  was  standing  in  the  door  behind  him, 
watching  his  actions  with  deceptively  mild  interest. 


NOT  ACCORDING  TO  PROGRAM      161 

"  Dave,  could  you  manage  to  get  us  a  new  deck  of 
cards  and  something  to  smoke?  " 

Strang  soon  returned  with  a  box  of  really  excellent 
cigars  and  an  unbroken  package  of  cards.  The  former 
he  had  secured  at  the  "  Palace  "  bar,  Coogan's  weeds 
being  the  best  in  the  city,  a  thing  characteristic  of  all 
gambling  hells  whose  whiskey  and  tobacco  is  always  un 
exceptionable,  but  the  cards  he  bought  at  the  little  drug 
store  across  the  way.  He  had  reason  to  be  suspicious  of 
the  ornately-backed  pasteboards  affected  by  the  Coogan 
establishment. 

In  the  combined  gambling  hall  and  bar  adjacent  to 
the  private  room,  four  Lazy  K  cowpunchers  were  lan 
guidly  lounging  about  with  disconsolation  written  all 
over  their  faces;  but  Strang's  orders  had  been  impera 
tive,  so  they  had  to  content  themselves  with  smoking 
innumerable  cigarettes  and  hoping  that  something  might 
occur  to  enliven  the  monotony  of  their  vigil. 

"  It's  up  to  yuh  mugs  to  see  that  nobody  gets  offishus 
an'  interrupts  thu  perceedin's !  "  had  been  his  instruc 
tions;  nevertheless  they  irresistibly  gravitated  toward 
the  door  of  the  private  room,  where  they  stood  with 
thumbs  hooked  in  their  belts  in  suggestive  proximity 
to  the  butts  of  their  peacemakers. 

Somehow  the  atmosphere  was  charged  with  expect 
ancy  and  a  strange  constraint  had  fallen  on  the  usually 
boisterous  throng.  Something  unusual  was  taking  place 
in  that  private  room,  but  Big  Bart's  privacy  was  a  thing 
not  healthy  to  violate;  and  then  again  there  was  some 
thing  peculiarly  discouraging  to  idle  curiosity  in  the 


1 62  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

grim  faces  of  the  bronzed  quartet  just  outside  the  door. 
There  was  not  a  man  in  that  assemblage  who  would 
not  have  given  half  of  his  hoard  for  one  peep  into  that 
room,  and  similarly  there  was  not  a  man  of  them  who 
for  thrice  that  consideration  would  have  essayed  such 
a  breach  of  etiquette. 

And  up  at  the  county  jail  another  of  the  Lazy  K  out 
fit  was  cursing  his  luck  and  sarcastically  requesting  a 
horde  of  wretches  in  the  basement  dungeons  to  "  holler 
a  few,  so's  I  kin  use  up  a  bunch  o'  these  damn  hulls. 
Holler  just  oncet!  " 

In  an  unlighted  room  on  the  second  story  of  the  little 
hotel  four  short  blocks  away,  a  woman  sat  crouched 
behind  the  curtains  of  a  window  which  commanded 
fully  the  Palace  saloon.  She  was  still  dressed  in  the 
inconspicuous  dark  robe  in  which  she  had  watched  the 
sadly  aborted  attempt  at  the  jail  a  short  half-hour  be 
fore.  Feverishly  had  she  witnessed  the  stealthy  ap 
proach  of  the  scant  dozen  of  slinking  forms  which  had 
silently  stolen  into  the  frowning  portals  which  had  ac 
commodatingly  opened  for  their  ingress;  breathlessly 
had  she  waited  until  there  came  the  sound  of  savage 
oaths,  muffled  thuds  and  the  clamor  of  men  in  mortal 
combat.  She  had  almost  screamed  in  frantic  apprehen 
sion  as  the  invading  force  had  been  suddenly  reinforced 
by  four  other  figures  with  gleaming  weapons  in  their 
hands.  She  would  have  called  out  warning  of  this  new 
and  terrible  peril  to  the  now  certainly  doomed  prisoners, 
but  her  tongue  clave  to  the  roof  of  her  mouth  and  she 
only  sobbed  and  swayed  in  hysterical  rage  at  the  balking 
of  her  revenge.  But  suddenly  to  her  amazement  there 


NOT  ACCORDING  TO  PROGRAM      163 

came  forth  seven  men  clad  in  vaquero  costume,  who 
laughed  boisterously  and  shot  their  revolvers  aimlessly 
into  the  air.  She  gave  a  sharp  gasp  of  relief  as  she 
heard  a  familiar  voice  say  with  unfeigned  regret: 

"  Why,  I've  hed  moah  fun  at  a  dawg  fite !  D'yuh 
reckon  that  theah  was  evah  ary  white  man,  ceptin'  he 
were  sick  er  asleep,  that  passed  in  his  chips  to  sech  a 
passel  o'  pulin'  polecats  like  this  yeah  bunch  we've  jes' 
been  bendin'  ouah  guns  ovah?  Gawd!  Ken,  I'll 
stink  o'  gawlic  fer  a  week!  Ef  Coogan  don't  put  up  a 
betah  scrap  by  hes  lonesome  than  hes  whole  pack  o' 
peccaries  did,  why,  I'm  goin'  to  swap  my  ole  hawg  laig 
fer  a  putty  blowah  an'  hiah  out  on  a  sheep  ranch  whar 
they's  suthin'  doin' !  " 

And  now  she  was  waiting,  waiting  with  a  fierce  im 
patience  that  bruised  the  soft  taper  fingers  gripping  the 
jeweled  hilt  of  a  slender  cuchllla  hidden  in  her  bosom, 
waiting  for  the  vicious  crackle  that  would  mercifully 
appease  the  maddening  insistence  of  those  two  dead 
men  calling  from  their  graves  in  far-off  Ameca. 

For  the  greater  part  of  an  hour  she  shivered  in  an 
ecstasy  of  expectation  and  fear.  "Mother  of  God! 
What  if  they  should  let  him  escape  after  all !  "  Clutch 
ing  her  stiletto,  she  ran  vengefully  out  into  the  night. 


CHAPTER  XIII 
A  LAUGH  IN  THE  NIGHT 

DAVE  BALLARD  was  the  only  man  in  the  room  who 
immediately  lighted  the  cigar  of  Strang's  passing;  the 
others  seemed  indifferent  to  the  blandishments  of  the 
odorous  goddess  for  the  nonce.  Big  Bart,  with 
the  forced  composure  of  a  trapped  wolf  waiting  the  next 
move  of  his  captor,  nonchalantly  chewed  on  his  with 
affected  indifference,  but  on  his  bull  neck  the  sinews 
stood  out  like  whipcords.  The  man  was  no  coward 
but  just  now  he  was  up  against  a  game  new  to  his  great 
and  diversified  experience,  another  man's  game,  the  fu 
tility  of  "  bucking  "  which  is  proverbial  even  among 
layman.  If  it  be  true  that  the  uncertainty  of  the  future 
alone  makes  living  endurable,  then  Bart  Coogan  was 
just  now  having  the  time  of  his  life! 

With  his  characteristic  directness,  Douglass  came 
straight  to  the  point  without  delay: 

"  Mr.  Coogan,  I  have  just  ascertained  that  you  are 
the  putative  owner  of  the  O  Bar  O  brand,  the  registry 
and  record  standing  in  your  name.  May  I  presume 
so  far  as  to  ask  whether  the  title  is  solely  in  you  or  is  it 
a  partnership  affair?  "  His  tone  was  very  respectful 
but  business-like. 

"  While  it's  none  of  your  damn  business,  I  don't 

164 


A  LAUGH  IN  THE  NIGHT  165 

object  to  telling  you  that  I  am  the  whole  firm,"  said 
Coogan,  insolently.  "  And  I'd  like  to  know  what 
in — !  "  He  was  beginning  to  get  a  grip  on  himself 
again  and  resorted  to  bluster. 

"  Thank  you !  "  said  Douglass,  quietly,  restraining  a 
great  desire  to  send  his  fist  against  that  snarling  mouth. 
"  Now  we'll  get  down  to  brass  tacks  in  a  jiffy.  In  the 
brand  referred  to  there  are  presently  six  hundred  head 
of  cattle,  six  hundred  and  four,  to  be  exact,  including 
motherless  calves.  Of  this  number  more  than  two- 
thirds  bear  altered  brands  similar  to  these."  He 
pointed  to  the  hides  on  the  table :  "  May  I  ask  how 
they  came  into  your  possession?  " 

"You  can't  prove  nothing  1"  snarled  the  cornered 
wolf,  viciously.  The  other  smiled  incredulously. 

"No?  Evidently  you  have  not  considered  these," 
touching  the  letters,  significantly.  "  Well,  we  won't 
argue  that  point.  The  upshot  of  the  matter  is  that  I 
have  a  proposal  to  make  to  you.  I  am  anxious  to  ac 
quire  the  ownership  of  the  brand  myself,  and  as  I  have 
not  got  enough  ready  money  to  buy  it  outright,  what  do 
you  say  to  a  little  game  of  freeze-out,  with  these  for 
my  stakes  as  against  your  bill  of  sale?"  He  pointed 
to  the  heap  on  the  table.  "  You'll  be  getting  much  the 
best  of  it!" 

For  a  moment  the  gambler  glared  fiendishly  at  the 
imperturbable  man  facing  him;  his  body  was  quivering 
all  over  with  illy  suppressed  hate  and  fury.  Fie 
crouched  like  a  wild  beast  preparing  to  spring,  his  hands 
opening  and  closing  nervously.  Then  out  of  the  silence 
came  the  nasal  humming  of  Red: 


1 66  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

"  Yeah's  to  thu  gyurl  thet  is  faih  an'  kind, 
An'  yeah's  to  thu  man  who  is  game ! " 

The  taunt  stung  him  back  to  composure  again. 
Every  gambler  is  a  fatalist  by  nature;  the  chance  was, 
after  all,  more  than  he  had  any  logical  right  to  expect 
under  the  circumstances.  And  Big  Bart  Coogan  was 
game  to  the  core  of  his  calloused  heart!  With  an 
admirable  effort  he  recovered  his  self-control,  and  the 
hand  that  held  the  lighted  match  to  the  fresh  cigar 
which  Strang  politely  tendered  him  was  as  steady  as  a 
rock. 

"Anything  to  oblige  a  fellow  sport!"  he  said  with 
a  fine  return  to  his  professional  deference.  "  Have  you 
a  blank  form  about  you,  Lew  ?  " 

Ballard  produced  one  already  filled  out;  the  gambler 
glanced  at  him  meaningly.  "  Got  it  all  framed  up, 
eh?" 

"  Framed  up  nothing !  "  said  the  marshall,  indig 
nantly.  "  If  you  win  out  this  business  will  be  dropped. 
I  think,  myself,  that  you  are  in  big  luck  to  get  so  favor 
able  a  deal!  In  his  place  I'd  have  settled  it  in  another 
way." 

"  Well,"  said  Coogan,  affably,  as  he  scrawled  his 
name  with  a  fountain  pen  at  the  bottom  of  the  instru 
ment,  "  after  I've  won  out  suppose  you  take  his  place." 
Ballard  jerked  his  head  in  instantaneous  acquiescence. 
"  If  you  win  out !  "  he  assented,  gravely.  Then  he 
summoned  the  bartender,  who  was  a  notary  public,  to 
take  Coogan's  acknowledgment  of  signature;  the  stakes 
were  removed  to  a  side  table  and  the  men  cut  for  the 
deal,  each  man  was  given  ten  chips. 


A  LAUGH  IN  THE  NIGHT  167 

In  poker  everything  goes  that  can  be  made  go; 
Coogan  knew  perfectly  well  that  there  would  be  posi 
tively  no  interference  on  the  part  of  the  spectators,  no 
matter  how  open  and  vile  his  attempts  to  cheat  his  an 
tagonist.  Douglass  would  be  left  severely  alone  in  his 
self-defense,  and  he  resolved  to  employ  every  means  at 
his  command  to  win,  and  that  meant  play  of  the  foulest 
kind.  Just  so  long  as  his  opponent  (for  whom  by  the 
way  he  very  foolishly  felt  the  professional's  contempt 
of  amateurism)  should  not  detect  his  crooked  work,  he 
would  not  be  interfered  with  by  his  victim's  friends. 
He  had  never  watched  Douglass's  play  before,  but 
smiled  confidently  at  what  he  mistook  for  awkwardness 
when  Ken  clumsily  shuffled  the  cards,  the  deal  having 
fallen  to  him. 

It  was  dealer  ante  and  Douglass  stayed  when 
Coogan  came  in.  The  gambler  filled  his  hand,  aces 
on  sixes,  on  a  three  card  draw.  He  passed  the  bet  and 
Douglass  bet  one  chip;  Coogan  raised  it  two  and  Doug 
lass  called.  The  latter  had  three  queens  and  Coogan 
took  the  pot.  He  was  quite  certain  of  his  man  now; 
this  cowpuncher  was  either  rattled  and  had  lost  his 
nerve,  or  else  he  was  an  amateur  of  the  rawest  kind,  it 
being  evident  from  the  fact  of  his  drawing  only  two 
cards  that  he  had  the  three  queens  before  the  draw, 
his  other  cards  being  a  deuce  and  seven. 

But  his  equanimity  got  a  jar  when  Ken  passed  up  the 
ante  on  his  deal  and  subsequently  regained  all  his  lost 
chips  on  his  own  deal.  The  hands  were  astonishingly 
big  for  the  stage  of  the  game  and  the  gambler  essayed  a 
crooked  play  which  apparently  was  not  detected  by 


1 68  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

Douglass.  He  was  vastly  encouraged  thereby  and  tried 
it  repeatedly,  winning  only  a  chip  or  two  each  time. 
Fortune  seemed  very  capricious  and  at  last  both  men 
were  again  on  even  footing,  each  having  in  possession 
his  full  quota  of  counters. 

Emboldened  by  his  previous  successes  in  that  line 
the  gambler  now  went  about  systematically  holding  out 
cards;  he  finally  secured  the  four  aces,  dealing  Douglass 
a  king  full.  When  the  latter  called  him  all  the  chips 
of  both  men  were  in  the  pot. 

"What  have  you  got?"  The  cowboy's  voice  was 
peculiarly  clear,  his  manner  suave  and  courteous. 

"  What  you  got?  "  evasively  retorted  Coogan  with  a 
smirk. 

"  King  full  —  and  a  .44  to  your  nothing !  Your 
sleeve  is  too  tight  for  this  kind  of  work,  Bart.  I  didn't 
think  you'd  dare  try  that  on  me;  your  work  is  very 
coarse!  "  He  swept  the  heap  of  chips  to  his  side  of 
the  table  with  the  barrel  of  his  revolver.  "  You'll  find 
his  real  hand  in  his  sleeve,  Red.  No,  not  that  one  — 
there's  where  he  has  the  knife;  the  cards  are  in  the 
left  sleeve." 

"Did  you  really  think  I  was  that  easy?"  he  said 
reproachfully  to  the  discomfited  gambler,  as  McVey 
laid  the  bowie  and  secreted  cards  on  the  table.  "  Why, 
you've  even  misjudged  your  own  hold-out  —  see !  " 
He  rapidly  took  up  his  opponent's  hand  and  spread 
them  face  up  before  the  astonished  eyes  of  the  gam 
bler.  There  were  only  three,  instead  of  four  aces,  with 
a  jack  and  deuce.  "  I  had  you  beat  on  the  showdown, 
Bart.  Really,  I  am  surprised !  "  Then  to  the  pro- 


A  LAUGH  IN  THE  NIGHT  169 

fane  delight  of  Red,  he  carelessly  opened  his  hand,  ex 
posing  the  missing  ace  which  he  had  adroitly  palmed. 
The  spectators  to  a  man  laughed  and  after  a  moment 
Coogan  joined  in  the  hilarity.  He  was  really  a  man 
of  big  caliber  and  he  felt  an  unwilling  admiration  of 
this  audacious  youngster  who  had  so  cleverly  hoisted 
him  with  his  own  petard.  Besides,  there  is  a  certain 
wisdom  of  magnanimity  in  defeat. 

*'  You've  got  me  going  and  coming!  "  he  admitted, 
laughingly;  u  I  ain't  got  no  kick  coming."  But  his  eyes 
wandered  uneasily  to  the  letters  and  hides  on  the  floor 
and  Douglass  was  generous. 

He  took  the  bowie  knife  and  with  three  rapid  cir 
cular  slashes  cut  out  those  parts  branded;  upon  these 
he  laid  the  package  of  letters  and  held  them  out  to  the 
gambler  together  with  his  knife.  He  took  them 
mechanically,  staring  incredulously  at  the  cowpuncher, 
who  said  not  unkindly : 

"  I  reckon  you've  got  more  use  for  these  than  I  have. 
But  if  I  were  you  I'd  keep  out  of  the  cattle  business; 
the  game  isn't  worth  the  candle !  "  Big  Bart  went  over 
and  tossed  the  bits  of  skin  and  the  incriminating  letters 
into  the  heart  of  the  little  coal  fire  blazing  in  the  office 
stove.  When  they  were  finally  consumed  he  turned 
to  Red,  who  was  nearest  the  door. 

"  Call  in  all  your  outfit  and  tell  Billy  to  send  in  a 
basket  of  wine."  With  his  own  hand  he  filled  the 
glasses  and  then  turned  to  the  waiting  throng  with  up 
lifted  beaker: 

"  To  the  new  owner  of  the  O  Bar  O !  " 

They  drank  it  vociferously  and  when  the  bottles  were 


1 70  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

finally  empty  Coogan  passed  around  the  cigars.  Doug 
lass,  though  fully  aware  of  the  man's  uncanny  past, 
felt  for  the  now  apparently  despondent  wretch  the  in 
voluntary  pity  which  the  huntsman  feels  always  for  the 
dangerous  tiger  which  he  has  laid  low  after  a  titanic 
struggle.  He  tried  to  think  of  some  service  that  he 
could  consistently  render  him;  there  was  so  much  in 
this  man  of  gigantic  frame  and  undaunted  courage! 
He  had  shown  himself  game  to  an  incredible  degree, 
and  somehow  the  thought  of  that  herculean  throat  pur 
pling  in  the  noose  of  a  Mexican  rope  was  violently  dis 
tasteful  to  him.  Impelled  by  a  sudden  impulse  he  went 
over  to  him  and  while  ostensibly  bidding  him  good-by, 
contrived  to  whisper  unperceived: 

"  My  horse,  a  roan,  is  tied  just  under  this  window. 
Nothing  on  this  range  can  touch  him !  I'll  hinder  them 
all  I  can.  Good  luck  to  you  1  " 

Over  the  man's  face  swept  a  great  wonder.  He  tried 
to  speak  but  the  words  stuck  in  his  throat;  he  dropped 
his  eyes  and  gripped  Ken's  hand  hard. 

"  If  I  make  it  I'll  live  straight  hereafter!  "  he  mum 
bled,  thankfully.  There  is  no  man  so  brave  but  what 
chills  on  the  threshold  of  the  Valley  of  the  Shadow ! 

As  Douglass  turned  laughingly  to  reply  to  some  wit 
ticism  of  Ballard's  concerning  "  bloated  cattle  kings  " 
and  their  liquorous  obligations  to  the  common  commu 
nity,  Coogan  put  his  hands  behind  his  back  and  with 
head  bowed  as  in  deep  meditation  paced  slowly  toward 
the  window.  The  Mexican  sheriff,  resolutely  inter 
posed  between  him  and  the  opening,  drew  his  revolver 


A  LAUGH  IN  THE  NIGHT  171 

and  curtly  said:  "Pardon!  Senor  Coogan,  I  would 
have  speech  with  you.  I  have  here  a  warrant  — " 

He  got  no  farther,  having  committed  the  fatal  error 
of  letting  his  man  get  too  close.  With  a  leap  like  that 
of  a  charging  tiger,  the  gambler  was  upon  him,  one  hand 
catching  the  wrist  below  the  weapon,  the  other  falling 
with  frightful  force  upon  the  olive  temple.  Under  the 
impact  of  their  combined  weight  the  flimsy  window 
gave  way  like  blotting  paper  and  both  men  were  pre 
cipitated  on  the  ground  outside.  With  a  pretense  of 
going  to  the  sheriff's  aid  Douglass  managed  to  trip  up 
the  marshal!,  whose  quickly-drawn  weapon  was  harm 
lessly  discharged  in  the  floor,  and  as  the  others  stumbled 
and  fell  over  his  prostrate  body  Douglass  managed  to 
get  himself  somehow  wedged  in  the  window,  thus  ef 
fectually  preventing  any  use  of  firearms. 

As  he  struggled  with  exaggerated  strenuosity  to  free 
himself  from  the  entangled  debris,  he  saw  Coogan  gain 
his  feet  and  run  swiftly  towards  the  tethered  horse;  he 
saw  the  halter  rope  severed  with  one  deft  slash  of  the 
bowie  and  the  foot  placed  hastily  in  the  stirrup.  But  the 
triumphant  vault  into  the  saddle  was  never  made;  the 
animal,  alarmed  at  this  summary  and  unusual  method 
of  release,  was  shying  away  from  the  man  who  was 
trying  in  his  frenzied  haste  to  mount  on  the  wrong  side. 
As  Coogan  hopped  about  with  muttered  oaths,  trying 
to  secure  an  effectual  footing,  a  dark,  slender  figure 
seemed  to  rise  out  of  the  ground  at  his  side.  Doug 
lass  caught  the  blue  gleam  of  polished  steel  in  the  moon 
light  just  above  Coogan's  neck,  heard  the  soft  thud  of  a 


172  THE  SONG  OE  THE  WOLF 

well-driven  blow;  he  gave  a  great  cry  of  warning  but 
it  fell  upon  unheeding  ears.  The  man,  releasing  his 
hold  upon  the  horse,  staggered  blindly  about,  thrusting 
savagely  at  random,  a  queer  bubbling  cry  welling  from 
his  lips.  Again  and  again  as  the  stricken  giant  reeled 
tottering  about,  came  that  snake-like  glide  and  merci 
less  thrust  until  finally,  his  veins  drained  of  their  vital 
flood,  Coogan  fell  on  his  face  in  the  crimsoned  snow. 

And  then  above  the  rush  of  hurrying  feet,  above  the 
cries  of  blasphemous  wonder  and  alarm  as  the  Palace 
vomited  out  its  raucous  filth,  there  arose  a  cackling 
horror  that  Douglass  would  never  forget  as  long  as  he 
lived,  the  vacuous  gibbering  of  Dolores  Ysobel  de 
Tejada,  kissing  her  blood-stained  cuchilla  and  scream 
ing  weird  endearments  to  two  dead  men  in  Jalisco. 

Don  Luis  Garcia,  a  little  giddy  and  tremulous  from 
the  effects  of  that  awful  blow,  wept  remorsefully  on 
the  neck  of  McVey,  who  promptly  suggested  vinous 
consolation.  "  Ay  de  mi!  "  he  wailed,  "  why  deed  I 
heem  not  keel  so  when  that  I  the  chance  haddest! 
Now  there  will  not  the  hangin'  be,  and  Senorita  de  Te 
jada —  Ah,  pobre  nlna!  She  is  what  you  call  heem 
'  off-the-nut.'  It  is  to  weep  —  she  of  the  ver'  firs* 
familee  was,  and  now  —  Es  muy  lastima!  Eet  iss  too 
damn  bad!  " 

Red  assented  dolorously.  "  An'  Matlock  got  away, 
too !  Senor,  it  are  shore  hell !  "  Then,  remembering, 
he  turned  sharply  aside  so  that  the  other  could  not  see 
the  dull  flush  on  his  cheek  as  Conscience  slapped  him  in 
the  face. 

By  the  advice  of  Mr.  Brewster,  the  lawyer,  Douglass 


A  LAUGH  IN  THE  NIGHT  173 

and  McVey  returned  to  the  jail  and  reincarcerated 
themselves  therein.  The  entrapped  Mexicans  were  re 
leased  with  a  series  of  warnings,  so  effectively  phrased 
by  the  Lazy  K  cowpuncher  in  charge  of  them,  coupled 
by  a  few  emphasizing  kicks  impartially  administered 
by  him  to  each  by  way  of  self-consolation  for  his  having 
missed  all  the  fun,  that  they  took  their  permanent  de 
parture  for  parts  unknown  without  standing  on  the  or 
der  of  their  going.  The  turnkey,  for  obvious  reasons, 
was  only  too  glad  to  keep  his  own  counsel. 

At  the  preliminary  examination,  which  was  held  with 
out  delay,  both  men  were  fully  exonerated  on  the 
grounds  of  self-defense  and  were  as  promptly  dis 
charged  from  custody.  The  bill  of  sale  was  duly  re 
corded;  another  transfer  of  the  brand  and  its  contents 
from  Douglass  to  Carter  was  executed  and  put  on  rec 
ord,  and  relaxation  was  the  logical  order  of  the  day. 

Douglass,  suddenly  remembering  his  promise  to  re 
port  the  result  of  his  attempt,  went  up  to  the  telegraph 
office  and  indited  a  brief  message. 

"  Won  out.    O  Bar  O  brand  recorded  in  your  name." 

He  did  not  know  that  it  had  been  preceded  by  an 
other  message  to  the  same  address,  sent  by  Warren 
Brewster  in  reply  to  one  received  from  Carter,  and 
ascribed  the  unconcealed  admiration  of  the  girl  oper 
ator  to  an  entirely  different  cause  from  that  which 
actually  inspired  it.  Evidently  his  vanity  had  suffered 
no  discouragement  over  night.  But  he  only  smiled  in 
dulgently  at  her;  she  was  a  pale,  anaemic,  washed-out 
blonde  and  he  had  but  small  regard  for  the  type. 


i74          THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

Back  in  their  palatial  New  York  home  Robert  Car 
ter  and  his  sister  were  seated  in  the  library,  waiting 
with  strained  emotions  for  the  ring  of  the  messenger 
boy  who  would  bring  the  answer  to  a  message  flashed 
an  hour  before  to  the  far  West.  The  man  was  vis 
ibly  perturbed  and  ever  and  anon  strode  impatiently 
to  the  window,  watch  in  hand,  cursing  the  dilatoriness 
of  telegraph  companies  in  general  and  this  one  in  par 
ticular.  The  woman  sat  very  quiet  and  thoughtful  in 
a  big  cozy  chair  before  the  open  fire  of  sea  coals,  her 
head  supported  by  one  hand,  the  other  lying  clenched 
upon  two  open  letters  in  her  lap.  Her  face  was  very 
pale  and  there  were  lines  of  pain  about  the  sensitive 
mouth.  Her  whole  attitude  betokened  a  great  nerv 
ous  tension  and  the  eyes  were  luminous  with  dread. 
Mechanically  she  took  up  the  letters  and  reread  them 
for  at  least  the  hundredth  time  that  morning.  They 
were  the  two  written  by  Douglass  the  night  before  his 
departure  to  Gunnison.  It  was  evident  that  Abbie  had 
either  exceeded  or  misunderstood  his  instructions  as  to 
the  posting  of  them,  for  they  had  arrived  together  in 
the  same  mail. 

Once  more  she  yielded  to  the  fatal  fascination  of  the 
shorter  note :  "  In  case  of  my  death  — "  this  time  she 
got  no  farther  for  the  letters  swam  in  a  blinding  mist; 
her  reserve  broke  down  and  she  laid  her  head  on  the 
cushioned  arm  of  the  chair.  Robert  came  quickly  to 
her  side. 

"  Don't!  For  God's  sake,  don't,  Gracie!  We  will 
know  in  a  minute."  He  put  his  arm  tenderly  around 
her.  "  There  is  absolutely  nothing  to  apprehend;  he  is 


A  LAUGH  IN  THE  NIGHT  175 

a  man  among  a  thousand  and  too  wise  to  take  any  fool 
ish  risks.  It  is  all  right  1"  But  his  own  agitation) 
gave  the  lie  to  his  brave  assurance  and  he  started  nerv 
ously  as  the  door-bell  clanged  harshly. 

He  took  the  ominous  yellow  envelope  from  the  hand 
of  the  pompous  lackey  who  presented  it  and  almost  tore 
the  enclosure  in  twain  as  he  wrenched  it  from  its  flimsy 
covering.  One  hasty  glance  and  he  gave  a  great  shout 
of  joy. 

"  Grade  —  listen !  " 

"Douglass  secured  bill  sale  from  Coogan  without  trouble.  Is 
well  and  hearty.  Congratulations  on  your  manager !  He  is  a  won 
der! 

"  BREWSTER." 

As  she  hastily  confirmed  his  reading  the  bell  clanged 
again  and  the  obsequious  waiter  brought  in  Douglass's 
telegram.  Quick  as  was  the  man,  the  girl  reached  the 
salver  first.  With  a  composure  that  strongly  contrasted 
with  her  previous  agitation,  she  handed  it  to  her  brother. 

"  It  is  from  Mr.  Douglass,"  she  said  calmly,  "  and 
confirms  Mr.  Brewster's  wire.  After  all  we  were  need 
lessly  exercised  about  the  whole  matter.  I  had  no  idea 
that  your  friend  had  such  a  predilection  for  dramatic 
effects."  And  to  his  open-mouthed  consternation  she 
swept  out  of  the  room  with  a  scornful  smile  on  her  face. 

"Well,  I'll  be  damned!"  said  Mr.  Robert  Carter, 
blankly,  to  the  dignified  effigy  in  plush. 

"  Yessir,"  assented  that  functionary,  gravely.  "If 
you  please,  sir!  " 


CHAPTER  XIV 
A  FAIR  FIELD  AND  NO  FAVORS! 

IT  was  very  pleasant  at  the  C  Bar  ranch  when  the 
bluebirds  came  again.  Under  the  magical  touch  of  the 
revivifying  spring  the  buds  were  bursting  with  the  sheer 
joy  of  living  and  the  earth  was  soft  with  thankfulness. 
The  cool,  balmy  air  of  the  lower  mesas  was  rich  with 
the  delicate  fragrance  of  the  greening  things,  and  higher 
up  the  breath  of  the  canons  was  faintly  redolent  of  the 
balsamic  incense  of  pine  and  fir. 

The  meadows,  lush  with  the  largess  of  the  melting 
snow  fields  above,  resounded  to  the  liquid  gurgling  of 
myriads  of  red  and  yellow-shouldered  blackbirds  wheel 
ing  and  swinging  over  them  in  clouds  of  parti-colored 
animation;  the  streams,  no  longer  mere  empty  stretches 
of  thirsty  sand  and  dry  white  bowlders,  were  roaring 
the  lusty  pean  of  well-filled  bellies  and  over-flushed  veins. 
Far  and  near  the  land  was  dotted  with  slowly-moving 
cattle,  nipping  gratefully  at  the  succulent  grass  tips, 
their  formerly  lank  and  rough-haired  flanks  distended 
with  the  young  year's  generous  bounty.  In  the  barn 
yards  was  a  scurrying  of  yellow  balls  of  down  as  the 
clucking  hens  told  of  some  juicy  tidbit  wriggling  for 
their  delectation.  Everywhere  was  new  young  life,  and 
all  things  were  fat  with  promise. 


A  FAIR  FIELD  AND  NO  FAVORS      177 

Scoured  by  the  strenuous  hand  of  winter,  the  ranch 
premises  were  delightfully  clean  and  sweet;  the  fences 
and  corrals,  repaired  and  new-built,  looked  trim,  strong 
and  capable;  the  ditches  were  running  bank- full  in 
readiness  for  duty  in  the  arid  days  to  come.  Every 
thing  betokened  thrift  and  good  management,  and  Doug 
lass,  looking  at  it  with  critical  approvement,  knew  that 
so  far  he  had  made  good. 

"  She  nevah  looked  bettah,"  was  McVey's  satisfied 
comment  as  he  sat  on  his  horse  on  the  crest  of  the  little 
divide  overlooking  the  ranch.  "  Yuh  suah  hev  got  thu 
layout  well  in  hand.  We'll  hev  hay  to  buhn  this  fall." 

"  There  was  too  much  burned  last  year,"  said  Doug 
lass  grimly;  "  we'll  try  to  put  it  to  better  use  this  time. 
I  wonder  what's  become  of  him."  It  was  the  first  refer 
ence  he  had  made  to  Matlock  for  many  weeks.  Red 
spat  indifferently. 

"  Pulled  hes  freight  fer  good,  I  reckon.  Mont  But 
ler  told  me  he  saw  him  in  Laramie  two  weeks  afteh  yuh 
broke  jail."  Both  men  chuckled  reminiscently.  "  He 
were  full  o'  talk,  as  usual,  but  I  reckon  thet  hes  blowin' 
won't  cause  no  cyclones  in  these  yeah  pahts.  I  feel  real 
bad  to  think  thet  he  didn't  stop  long  enough  to  say 
goo'by  to  me  thet  night." 

As  they  rode  slowly  in  to  lunch,  warned  by  the  blow 
ing  of  a  horn  in  the  hands  of  the  impatient  Abbie,  Doug 
lass  was  unusually  taciturn.  As  they  unbridled  their 
horses  in  the  barn  he  said  suddenly: 

"Red,  I'm  going  to  take  my  vacation  to-morrow; 
will  be  gone  for  a  month.  Day  after  to-morrow  Mr. 
and  Miss  Carter  will  be  at  Tin  Cup  —  got  a  letter 


178  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

from  him  last  week.  I  want  you  to  go  and  meet  them. 
Better  take  the  extra  wagon  for  their  luggage,  as  well 
as  the  buckboard  and  Miss  Carter's  roan;  she  wants  to 
ride  in.  The  buckboard  is  for  Carter  and  a  woman 
friend  they  are  bringing  with  them.  Of  course  you  will 
be  in  charge  while  I'm  gone.  I'm  going  prospecting 
and  I'll  stake  you  in  if  I  find  a  gold  mine."  He  said  it 
as  a  matter  of  course;  these  two  had  become  inseparable 
in  most  things. 

Red  grunted  suspiciously;  he  was  evidently  not  so 
well  pleased  with  prospective  riches  as  he  logically 
should  have  been. 

"  Yuh  are  shore  yuh  ain't  goin'  to  try  an'  develop  a 
lead  mine  in  somebody's  haid  oveh  to  Laramie?  "  His 
tone  was  almost  peevish. 

Douglass  gave  him  a  reassuring  thump  amidships. 
"  Not  this  trip,  old  man.  I  am  going  over  to  the  head 
of  the  Roaring  Fork  to  trace  up  some  float  I  found 
there  two  years  ago.  I'd  like  mighty  well  to  have  you 
come  along,  but  we  both  can't  leave  at  the  same  time, 
you  know." 

"  It's  very  rich  float,"  he  said  that  night  as  they 
sat  discussing  final  arrangements.  "  If  I  ever  find  thai- 
lead,  Red,  our  working  days  are  over.  How'd  you 
like  to  be  a  bloated  bond-holder,  eh,  old-timer?" 

Red  grinned  skeptically.  "  I'm  from  Texas.  Yuh've 
got  ter  put  it  in  mah  hand." 

"  But  in  case  we  should  strike  it?  "  insisted  the  other 
with  amused  curiosity. 

Red  hung  his  belt  and  scabbard  on  the  peg  above  his 
bunk;  then  he  hung  his  sombrero  over  them,  taking 


A  FAIR  FIELD  AND  NO  FAVORS      179 

considerable  time  to  their  satisfactory  disposal.  But 
his  head  was  thrown  well  back  and  his  reply  was  almost 
a  challenge  in  its  curt  incisiveness : 

"  Then  I  reckon  I  wouldn't  have  to  baig  what  rib 
bons  I  took  a  fancy  to." 

Douglass's  eyes  narrowed  to  mere  slits  and  he 
breathed  very  softly;  then  his  brows  unbent  again,  arid 
he  laughed  cynically.  "  That  isn't  very  complimentary 
to  —  to  wearers  of  the  ribbons,  Red.  Do  you  really 
think  money  can  buy  that  kind  of  thing?  " 

"  No,  I  reckon  it  wouldn't  in  her  case,"  said  McVey 
slowly,  "  but  it  would  give  a  man  thu  right  to  sit  in  thu 
game."  Then  he  raised  his  head  proudly,  sincerity, 
truth  and  resolution  glowing  in  every  lineament  of  his 
strong,  bronzed  face:  "I  love  her,"  he  said  simply, 
"  an'  some  day,  when  I've  got  thu  right  to,  I'm  goin' 
ter  tell  her  so.  An'  now  that  I've  been  fool  enough 
to  let  yuh  fo'ce  my  hand,  I  wan't  yuh  to  know  that  I 
only  ask  a  faih  field  an'  no  favohs.  To  hell  with  yuh 


mine." 


He  flung  angrily  out  of  the  house,  his  spurs  clinking 
as  he  went.  For  quite  a  time  Douglass  sat  in  statu 
esque  silence;  then  he,  too,  went  out  into  the  night, 
wending  his  way  to  the  office,  where  he  wrote  far  into 
the  wee  sma'  hours.  Finally  he  dismounted  his  foun 
tain  pen  and  reread  carefully  the  longer  of  the  four 
documents  on  which  he  had  been  engaged.  They  were 
respectively  a  complete  report  of  the  stewardship,  a 
receipt  for  one  thousand  dollars  covering  his  four 
months'  salary  (he  took  that  sum  in  cash  from  the  little 
safe),  a  short  letter  to  Mr.  Carter,  and  his  resignation. 


i8o  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

He  sealed  them  all  in  one  envelope,  which  he  addressed 
and  confided  to  Abbie's  care  for  prompt  delivery  to 
Carter  on  his  arrival.  Then  he  went  back  to  the  bunk- 
house  and  in  ten  minutes  was  fast  asleep. 

As  he  pulled  out  in  the  morning  Red  noted  that  the 
horses  which  he  rode  and  packed  were  Douglass's  pri 
vate  property.  Just  before  mounting  he  said,  holding 
McVey's  fist  in  a  cordial  grip,  his  other  hand  upon  the 
brawny  shoulder: 

"  Red,  I  have  decided  to  make  my  vacation  a  perma 
nent  one.  I  am  not  coming  back.  You  are  in  full 
charge  now  and  naturally  will  be  retained  in  that  ca 
pacity.  You  are  a  square,  straight,  white  man,  and  I 
am  leaving  you  a  free  field.  I  wish  you  luck."  He 
rode  away,  McVey  watching  him  out  of  sight  with  won 
der  and  consternation  written  all  over  his  honest  face. 

Over  at  Tin  Cup  he  tarried  long  enough  to  bait  and 
rest  his  horses  and  bid  his  friends  good-by,  confiding 
to  them  the  scant  information  that  he  was  lired  of 
ranch  work  and  was  going  to  try  his  luck  at  mining. 
He  made  all  kinds  of  exaggerated  promises  to  litrle 
Eulalie  as  she  clung  to  him  sobbingly,  and  solemnly 
pledged  himself  to  kill  a  bear  for  Bud,  who  wanted  the 
hide  to  make  a  pair  of  chaparejos. 

He  remained  over  night  in  town,  leaving  rather 
late  the  next  day.  The  animals  were  fresh  and  the 
going  good,  nevertheless  he  did  not  get  so  far  away 
but  what  the  sweet  face  of  Grace  Carter  glowed  almost 
life-size  in  the  field  of  his  powerful  prism  binoculars 
as  she  sprang  expectantly  out  of  the  stage  and  looked 
eagerly  around  with  a  keen  disappointment  growing  in 


A  FAIR  FIELD  AND  NO  FAVORS      181 

her  eyes  as  McVey  and  Abbie  alone  appeared  to  wel 
come  her.  He  saw  her  shake  hands  cordially  with  the 
former  and  a  sneer  disfigured  his  mouth ;  but  it  involun 
tarily  dissipated  as  she  was  buried  in  the  hug  of  the 
old  woman  who  was  patting  her  on  the  shoulder  and 
crying  for  joy. 

He  suddenly  changed  the  focus  of  the  glass  as  an 
other  face  came  in  view;  Robert  Carter  was  assisting 
a  woman  to  alight  and  as  she  reached  terra  firma  the 
declining  sun  rays  irradiated  her  face  sharply.  The 
man  licked  his  lips  nastily:  "  Hell!  "  he  muttered  with 
a  fierce  regret,  "  why  didn't  I  know  that  this  was  com 
ing?  Guess  I've  overlooked  the  best  bet  of  my  life." 
And  that,  with  Ken  Douglass,  was  a  sin. 

He  watched  them  get  under  way  for  the  ranch,  and 
followed  them  with  his  glass  until  the  distance  swal 
lowed  them  up.  He  had  a  broadside  view  for  nearly 
the  whole  distance,  as  their  course  lay  at  nearly  right 
angles  to  his  line  of  vision.  Occasionally  he  looked  at 
the  equestrienne  on  the  prancing  roan,  but  for  the 
greater  part  of  the  time  the  lenses  were  centered  on  the 
face  and  form  of  the  woman  in  the  buckboard. 

For  the  first  time  in  his  life  Red  McVey  had  dodged 
a  direct  issue  when  Carter  had  asked  him  why  Douglass 
had  not  met  them  in  person.  In  response  to  that  ques 
tion  he  had  equivocally  replied  that  Douglass  had  gone 
away  on  his  vacation  and  had  delegated  the  duty  to  him. 
He  was  devoutly  glad  that  he  was  not  forced  into  par 
ticulars  and  avoided  any  embarrassing  questions  by  de 
voting  himself  assiduously  to  the  baggage. 

When  he  opened  the  envelope  which  Abbie  handed 


1 82          THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

to  him  after  supper,  Carter's  irritation  passed  all 
bounds.  With  a  forced  politeness  he  excused  himself 
to  his  guest  and  went  into  the  office,  where  he  was 
shortly  joined  by  his  sister,  who  intuitively  surmised  that 
something  was  wrong.  He  almost  thrust  the  letter 
into  her  hand,  asking  angrily: 

"  What  the  devil  is  the  meaning  of  all  this?  " 
She  scanned  the  page  hurriedly,  her  face  paling  as 
she  read.     It  was  very  short,  but  concise: 

"  DEAR  MR.  CARTER  :  — 

"  In  leaving  your  service  I  desire  to  thank  you  for  the  many  cour 
tesies  enjoyed  at  your  hands,  and  for  the  flattering  confidence  you 
have  ever  reposed  in  me.  Enclosed  please  find  a  full  statement  of 
assets  and  liabilities  which  I  ask  you  will  confirm  at  your  earliest 
convenience.  I  have  done  my  best  and  I  trust  that  my  services 
have  been  satisfactory. 

"Mr.  McVey  is  perfectly  competent  to  assume  full  management 
of  the  outfit  and  I  sincerely  hope  that  you  will  consider  him  favor 
ably  in  that  connection ;  he  is  absolutely  honest  and  dependable,  and 
is,  besides,  by  far  the  best  cowman  of  my  acquaintance.  I  am  rec 
ommending  him  without  either  his  knowledge  or  consent. 

"  I  have  paid  myself  out  of  the  funds  in  hand;  please  find  voucher 
inclosed. 

"  Wishing  the  C —  unbounded  prosperity,  and  yourself  the  happi 
ness  and  good  fortune  you  deserve, 

"  Yours  very  respectfully, 

"KENNETH  M.  DOUGLASS." 

Never  a  word  as  to  his  underlying  reasons;  not  an 
intimation  of  his  future  plans  and  purposes,  not  even 
a  conventional  word  of  farewell  to  her.  She  laid  the 
letter  quietly  on  the  table. 

*'  Really,  Robert,  your  question  is  astonishing,"  she 
said  in  cold  asperity  to  his  reiterated  demand.  "  How 


A  FAIR  FIELD  AND  NO  FAVORS     183 

could  I  possibly  know  of  the  reasons  actuating  Mr. 
Douglass  ?  He  has  never  taken  me  into  his  confidence 
and  so  I  am  more  in  the  dark  than  you,  his  professed 
best  friend,  should  logically  be.  Of  course  I  share 
your  regret  at  losing  so  valuable  an  employe;  but  as 
suredly  I  am  not  responsible  for  it  in  any  way." 

Then  she  swept  out  haughtily  to  the  entertainment 
of  her  guest,  leaving  him  standing  there  furious  and 
altogether  unconvinced.  He  went  over  to  the  bunk- 
house  to  interrogate  McVey,  but  could  get  no  enlight 
enment  from  that  taciturn  individual,  who  really  knew 
nothing  of  Douglass's  motives.  So  the  next  morning 
he  made  a  virtue  of  necessity  and  offered  the  position 
to  Red,  who  accepted  it  without  comment,  merely  ob 
serving  :  "  I'll  try  to  please  yuh." 

On  leaving  her  brother,  Grace  went  straight  to  Mrs. 
Brevoort  with  no  little  embarrassment  in  her  manner. 
She  realized  now  that  both  she  and  Robert  had  talked 
a  great  deal  about  their  recalcitrant  manager  and  she 
was  at  a  loss  how  to  explain  the  anomalous  situation. 
But  she  went  the  best  possible  way  about  it,  straight  to 
the  point. 

"  I  am  afraid  that  your  proposed  conquest  of  all  the 
cowboys  on  the  ranch  will  have  to  be  deferred  in  at 
least  one  particular  instance,  Connie,"  she  said  with  a 
fine  attempt  at  humorous  condolence;  "  the  most  eligible 
one,  our  manager,  Mr.  Douglass,  having  severed 
his  connection  with  the  C  Bar,  so  Bobbie  informs 
me.  I  am  genuinely  sorry,  for  he  was  '  the  noblest 
Roman  of  them  all ' !  " 

It  was  cleverly  done;  so  cleverly,  in  fact,  that  Con- 


1 84  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

stance  Brevoort  was  completely  nonplused,  astute  as 
she  was.  Long  ago  she  had  arrived  at  a  conclusion 
not  borne  out  by  the  seeming  indifference  of  her  hostess, 
who  was  placidly  smiling  at  the  regal  beauty  in  the  cozy 
armchair  before  the  cheerful  pinon  fire.  Under  the 
cover  of  a  pretended  pout  she  watched  Grace  sharply. 

"  I  have  not  learned  the  particulars  yet,"  continued 
Grace  airily,  "  but  I  rather  suspect  that  he  got  fore 
warned  somehow  and  has  beaten  a  masterly  retreat 
while  yet  in  possession  of  all  his  faculties.  Seriously, 
dear,  I  am  sorry  that  you  did  not  meet  him ;  he  is  a  very 
attractive  man  and  a  forceful  one.  I  am  dubious  of  the 
outcome  of  a  passage  between  you  and  him,  despite  your 
proficiency  in  the  gentle  game  of  hearts. "  She  was 
laughing  quite  naturally  now,  if  a  little  bitterly;  there 
is  much  said  in  jest  that  is  meant  in  earnest. 

Constance  somehow  detected  the  false  note  but  gave 
no  sign.  She  looked  up  languidly.  "  Really,  I  am 
getting  interested.  Maybe  it  is  only  a  pleasure  de 
ferred.  Is  he  handsome,  this  Sir  Galahad  of  yours?  " 
There  was  a  covert  malice  in  the  question  that  failed 
of  its  intent,  for  Grace  said  steadily: 

"  Not  handsome  in  the  common  acceptance  of  the 
term,  perhaps,  but  the  manliest  man  I  have  ever  seen." 

"  And  you  have  seen  so  many,"  murmured  the  other 
comprehensively.  "  He  interests  me  more  than  ever. 
Is  he  irrevocably  lost  to  me?  " 

"  That,"  said  Grace  truthfully,  "  I  cannot  say. 
It's  a  small  world,  you  know,  and  strange  things  come 
to  pass."  She  gave  a  little  retrospective  pat  to  the 
head  of  Buffo,  lying  in  her  lap.  "  And  some  beautiful 


A  FAIR  FIELD  AND  NO  FAVORS      185 

things  pass  for  ever."  The  antelope  licked  her  cheek 
sympathetically  as  the  last  sentence  was  breathed  softly 
in  his  ear.  Constance  Brevoort,  unhearing  that  last 
piteous  cry,  smiled  confidently. 

"  It  will  come  to  pass,  without  question.  And  then 
—  who  knows." 

Carter  entering  at  this  juncture,  the  conversation  was 
diverted  to  other  topics.  Later  that  night  as  Mrs. 
Brevoort  divested  herself  of  the  surface  paraphernalia 
of  the  sex,  she  smiled  approvingly  at  the  revelations  of 
the  long  cheval  mirror  in  her  dressing-room. 

She  was  a  handsome  young  matron  of  thirty,  a  per 
fect  specimen  of  the  southern  type  of  brunette,  with 
black  eyes  and  hair,  and  creamy  skin.  Married  at 
eighteen  to  Anselm  Brevoort,  a  millionaire  thirty  years 
her  senior,  she  had  lived  the  life  of  luxury  and  dissipa 
tion  inseparable  from  her  social  station,  and  was  there 
fore  naturally  blase  and  a  bit  enervated.  Yet,  as  she 
stood  there  in  the  soft  candle  light,  uncoiling  her  luxuri 
ant  masses  of  hair,  it  was  evident  that  excesses  had  left 
no  traces  on  her  splendid  physique. 

Her  marriage  had  been  one  of  convenience  purely; 
she  had  from  the  very  beginning  frankly  disavowed  any 
love  for  the  man  who  made  her  the  mistress  of  his  es 
tablishment  and  the  custodian  of  his  honor,  and  the 
waning  years  had  not  brought  any  accession  of  the  ten 
der  passion.  Brevoort  was  a  very  unemotional  man  at 
the  best  and  was  wholly  engrossed  in  his  business  affairs, 
living  for  the  better  part  of  his  time  at  the  clubs  or 
abroad.  She  was  therefore  thrown  a  great  deal  on  her 
own  resources  for  amusement,  and  it  must  be  admitted 


1 86  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

that  she  made  the  most  of  the  many  opportunities  ac 
corded  to  every  beautiful  woman  in  her  sphere.  Her 
natural  pride  and  discriminativeness  had  served  her 
among  temptations  that  would  have  been  disastrous  to 
a  weaker  nature. 

So  it  was  that  at  the  end  of  her  "  dolorous  dozen  " 
as  she  whimsically  called  her  years  of  marital  anomaly, 
she  had  run  the  gamut  of  every  danger  incident  to  such 
a  career  and  had  escaped  without  a  scar.  And  her  self- 
confidence  was  commensurably  great.  It  was  her 
laughing  boast  that  no  man  had  ever  given  her  a  sensa 
tion  other  than  those  of  charity  and  weariness,  and  she 
was  irritatingly  frank  in  her  expressions  to  that  effect, 
even  to  her  victims.  Her  visit  to  the  Carter  ranch  was 
merely  a  caprice,  occasioned  by  Grace's  enthusiastic 
laudations  of  her  pet  western  plainsmen  and  her  mis 
chievous  intimation  that  beyond  the  Rockies  was  a 
world  impregnable  to  even  the  prowess  of  this  female 
Alexander.  Grace  was  not  a  little  alarmed  at  the 
prompt  acceptance  of  her  inadvertent  challenge  by  the 
finished  coquette,  who  really  had  no  design  whatever 
on  her  proteges  but  only  utilized  it  as  an  excuse  to  get 
away  for  a  time  from  an  environment  productive  of 
ennui.  She  had  heartily  tired  of  the  silly  game  and 
really  welcomed  the  distraction  of  a  new  and  unique  ex 
perience. 

Nevertheless,  she  had  gaily  laid  a  wager  with  Grace 
that  she  would,  in  less  than  the  allotted  two-months  of 
her  stay,  bedeck  her  belt  with  the  scalp  of  every  cow- 
puncher  within  a  radius  of  ten  miles  from  the  C  Bar. 
And  when,  as  the  day  of  their  departure  for  the  West 


A  FAIR  FIELD  AND  NO  FAVORS      187 

approached,  Miss  Carter  realized  that  Mrs.  Brevoort 
was  in  earnest,  she  wished  that  she  had  been  less  urgent 
in  her  conventional  invitation :  it  is  ever  a  dubious  ven 
ture,  this  turning  of  one's  pet  preserve  over  to  the  ques 
tionable  mercies  of  a  skillful  and  calloused  hunter. 

Well,  there  was  no  danger  now,  she  was  thinking 
with  a  sad  sinking  of  heart,  as  she  looked  wistfully  at 
a  cluster  of  long-dried  heart's-ease  in  her  escritoire.  It 
was  over  and  done  with,  and  that  chapter  of  her  life 
was  closed  forever.  For  Abbie  had,  in  a  fit  of  self- 
reproach,  told  her  of  her  taunt  on  that  eventful  night 
and  she  had  instantly  divined  his  thoughts  and  deduc 
tions.  Her  first  impulse  had  been  to  write  him  and 
indignantly  deny  —  what?  He  had  not  given  voice 
to  any  such  belief  in  her  duplicity,  and  how  was  she  to 
assume  that  he  entertained  such  a  thought  without  giv 
ing  color  and  grounds  for  his  suspicion?  And  then, 
again,  he  had  not  left  any  address  and  it  would  be  im 
possible  to  reach  him  by  mail.  She  knew  him  well 
enough  to  know  that  he  would  never  again  look  upon 
her  willingly  in  his  foolish  and  unjustified  resentment, 
and  the  probabilities  of  a  consistent  explanation  were 
all  against  her.  He  had  never  written  her  one  word 
during  her  eastern  sojourn;  his  letters  had  been  all  of 
a  purely  business  nature,  curt  and  brief,  always  ad 
dressed  to  her  brother  and  only  containing  the  conven 
tionally-required  remembrances  to  herself.  And  now 
the  over-wide  gulf  was  forever  unbridgable.  In  her 
desolation  and  heartache  she  cried  herself  to  sleep. 


CHAPTER  XV 
GREAT  EXPECTATIONS 

CONSTANCE  BREVOORT'S  two  months  had  length 
ened  into  five  and  it  was  now  October.  Her  experi 
ence  had  been  unique  and  so  diverting  that  the  attrac 
tions  of  the  eastern  metropolis  had  paled  before  the 
more  virile  and  exciting  possibilities  of  this  life  primi 
tive,  and  it  had  required  but  slight  persuasion  on  the 
part  of  the  Carters  to  induce  her  to  prolong  her  stay 
until  the  time  of  their  own  return  to  New  York. 

The  healthful  outdoor  life,  to  which  she  took  with 
avidity,  had  worked  wonders  for  her  really  splendid 
and  responsive  constitution,  and  her  normal  great 
beauty  had  been  freshened  and  intensified  to  a  degree 
that  made  her  conquest  of  the  unsophisticated  cowpunch- 
ers  a  thing  of  almost  unenjoyable  ease.  With  the  single 
exception  of  Red,  who  loyally  worshiped  at  the  shrine  of 
his  first-loved  divinity,  every  man  for  miles  around  did 
open  and  unblushing  homage  to  the  bewitching  god 
dess,  who  found  in  their  frank  adoration  a  charm  and 
satisfaction  unknown  to  her  previous  inane  piracies  on 
the  placid  shallows  of  the  social  millpond.  Out  here 
on  the  high  seas  of  unshackled  independence,  where 
every  man  was  a  viking  in  his  own  right  and  cruised 
with  unbridled  license  through  the  deeps  of  his  own  will, 

188 


GREAT  EXPECTATIONS  189 

each  conquest  was  a  victory  to  be  written  large  on  the 
tablet  of  her  vanity.  In  her  own  land  she  had  found 
many  men  who  would  languidly  live  for  her  favors; 
out  here  there  was  not  one  who  would  not  eagerly  die 
for  the  privilege  of  carrying  out  her  most  whimsical 
commands.  And  with  womanly  lack  of  philosophy  she 
very  much  preferred  those  who  would  die  to  those  who 
would  live.  < 

Under  the  jealous  ministrations  of  her  Centaur 
swains  she  had  developed  a  great  skill  of  horsewoman- 
ship,  and  in  their  company  she  and  Grace  Carter  had 
ridden  the  range  thoroughly,  leaving  not  one  point 
thereof  unexplored.  Each  man  vied  with  the  other 
in  the  breaking  of  a  safe  mount  for  her,  and  tradition 
has  it  that  there  were  more  gentle  horses  on  the  range 
that  year  than  had  ever  been  known  before  on  the  whole 
western  slope.  These  extended  rides  were  a  Godsend 
for  Grace,  diverting  her  mind  from  its  cankering  mem 
ories  and  bringing  a  new  beauty  to  both  face  and  figure, 
until  at  last  the  amorous  cowpunchers  were  frankly  di 
vided  as  to  the  supremacy  of  the  two  women's  respec 
tive  charms.  Red,  alone,  had  no  indecision,  either  in 
thought  or  strenuous  expression  on  that  point. 

"  Thu  black  ain't  in  thu  runnin'  with  thu  bay;  an' 
she  ain't  in  her  class,  nuther,"  had  been  his  unequivo 
cal  opinion  when  approached  on  that  topic.  "  Thu 
one's  good  enough  to  put  yuh  wad  on  fer  a  quick  spurt, 
but  yuh  kin  trus'  yuah  life  on  thu  otheh.  Thu  filly  fer 
me,  every  time."  But  then  Red  was  in  love,  and  that 
always  has  a  strongly  modifying  influence  on  one's  con 
victions.  That  he  was  nearly  alone  in  his  judgment 


i9Q          THE  SONG  DE  THE  .WOLF 

may  be  ascribed  to  the  difference  of  tastes.  And  it 
may  be  stated  as  a  curious  coincidence  that  most  of  the 
cowpunchers  were  blondes. 

Not  a  word  had  been  heard  from  Douglass  since  his 
departure  and  he  had  actually  passed  out  of  the  mind 
of  Mrs.  Brevoort  altogether.  When  their  paths  did 
finally  cross,  however,  it  was  under  conditions  that 
stamped  him  indelibly  upon  her  mind  and  soul  both. 

She  and  Grace  had  ridden  over  to  Tin  Cup  in  the 
cool  of  the  morning,  spending  the  day  with  Mrs.  Blount. 
They  had,  on  their  return,  essayed  a  short  cut  through 
William's  pasture  field,  with  the  intention  of  thereby 
shortening  the  distance  and  evading  the  dust  which 
hung  in  big  yellow  clouds  above  a  herd  of  cattle  being 
driven  up  the  county  road. 

In  the  field  adjoining  Grace  saw,  with  an  instantane 
ous  recognition  which  sent  the  color  from  her  cheeks, 
a  rider  engaged  in  corralling  a  pair  of  dusty  pack- 
horses  whose  appearance  betokened  a  long  day's  plod 
ding.  There  could  be  no  mistaking  that  erect,  lithe 
figure,  or  the  long,  rangy  "  strawberry  roan  "  he  was 
so  gracefully  bestriding,  and  her  heart  leaped  at  sight 
of  him.  Constance,  following  the  direction  of  her 
gaze,  asked  quickly: 

"  Who  is  that?     What  a  superb  seat  he  has!  " 

Even-  as  her  lips  opened  in  reply,  Grace  saw  Mrs. 
Brevoort's  horse  give  a  frantic  kick  at  something  en 
tangling  his  legs,  then  leap  affrightedly  from  side  to 
side,  while  his  rider  screamed  in  terror.  As  he  plunged 
again  Grace  screamed  in  unison  as  she  realized  her  com 
panion's  peril;  she  never  knew  that  at  that  moment  of 


GREAT  EXPECTATIONS  191 

supreme  dread  she  had  instinctively  cried  out  the  name 
of  the  rider  in  the  next  field,  conscious  only  of  that 
terrible  strand  of  barbed  wire  which  was  goading  Con 
stance's  horse  to  frenzy.  It  was  a  thing  of  all  too  com 
mon  occurrence  in  this  land  of  wire  fences;  a  loosely- 
coiled  strand  of  the  barbed  steel  had  been  left  lying  in 
the  high  grass  where  some  careless  repairsman  had  in 
dolently  flung  it,  and  the  horse  had  become  hopelessly 
entangled  in  its  trap.  Scared  and  anguished  by  the 
ripping  barbs,  the  horse  was  plunging  madly  about  in 
his  attempt  to  free  himself  from  its  cruel  fetters,  mo 
mentarily  approaching  a  greater  danger,  as  in  his  strug 
gles  he  neared  a  high  cut  bank  of  the  arroyo  traversing 
the  pasture. 

At  that  shrill  scream  of  "Ken!  Ken!"  the  man 
whirled  his  horse  about  and  looked  inquiringly  in  their 
direction;  one  lightning-like  glance  and  he  sent  the 
rowells  home  hard  into  the  flank  of  the  roan,  which  left 
the  ground  in  one  mighty  leap.  Over  the  interven 
ing  twenty  rods  he  came  like  a  thunderbolt,  clearing 
the  dividing  fence  by  a  good  two  feet  as  Douglass 
lifted  him  to  the  jump  and  gaining  the  side  of  the 
plunging  horse  just  as  the  bank's  edge  crumbled  under 
its  feet. 

He  was  not  one  moment  too  soon,  for  as  his  arm  en 
circled  Constance's  waist,  her  horse  went  floundering 
down  to  a  broken  neck  on  the  rocks  thirty  feet  below. 
Even  then  for  a  few  moments  the  issue  was  in  doubt; 
Mrs.  Brevoort  was  an  exceedingly  well-nurtured  young 
woman,  and  one  hundred  and  forty  pounds  of  limp 
humanity  is  difficult  to  sustain  with  one  arm  while  on 


192  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

the  back  of  a  horse  struggling  to  retain  his  footing  on 
the  treacherous  edge  of  a  loose-earth  precipice.  But 
that  arm  had  the  strength  of  a  steel  bar,  and  its  pos 
sessor  was  the  best  horseman  in  a  land  where  all  men 
rode  for  a  living.  Inside  of  ten  seconds  he  was  dis 
mounting,  in  safety,  still  holding  the  fainting  woman 
with  that  one  clasping  arm. 

As  he  touched  the  ground  he  placed  the  other  arm 
around  her  supportingly,  her  weight  for  the  first  time 
telling  on  him.  On  his  snatching  her  out  of  the  saddle 
she  had  instinctively  thrown  her  arms  about  his  neck, 
and  they  were  still  there ;  her  head  lay  drooped  upon  his 
shoulder  and  her  loosened  hair,  whipping  in  the  fresh 
breeze,  was  stinging  his  cheek  and  blinding  his  eyes  as 
Grace  rode  up  and  flung  herself  from  the  saddle.  There 
was  a  suggestiveness  in  the  pose  of  the  two  that  went  to 
her  heart  with  a  pang:  they  looked  so  lover-like,  this 
man  with  his  arms  about  the  clinging  woman.  For 
five  long  months  she  had  been  schooling  her  heart  to 
resignation  in  the  conviction  that  they  would  never 
meet  in  the  flesh  again,  and  here  he  had  come  back  to 
her  —  with  another  woman  in  his  arms.  In  that  mo 
ment  she  hated  Constance  Brevoort  with  all  the  fervor 
of  her  strong  young  aching  heart.  For  as  she  stood 
there,  torn  by  passion  and  pulsating  with  joy  at  the 
sight  of  him  whom  she  had  deemed  lost  to  her  forever, 
she  saw  the  black  eyes  cautiously  open  and  close  again, 
the  rose-red  lips  curve  in  a  peculiar  smile,  and  the  white 
arms  tighten  about  Douglass's  neck. 

In  the  first  fury  of  her  jealous  rage  she  could  have 
killed  them  both  without  compunction,  but  pride  came 


GREAT  EXPECTATIONS  193 

to  her  rescue  and  as  he  gently  laid  his  burden  down  in 
the  deep  grass,  reason  reasserted  itself.  Taking  Con 
stance's  head  in  her  lap,  she  said  curtly : 

"  Get  some  water  at  once !  There  is  plenty  in  the 
arroyo." 

He  was  back  in  a  half  minute  with  his  inverted  som 
brero  full  of  the  tepid  fluid  which  Grace  rather  uncer 
emoniously  poured  over  Mrs.  Brevoort's  face  and  neck, 
sneering  cynically  at  the  well-simulated  gasp  of  return 
ing  consciousness  that  rewarded  her  efforts.  At  the 
second  douche  Mrs.  Brevoort's  eyes  opened  a  bit  hastily; 
the  water  was  a  trifle  turbid  as  well  as  tepid,  and  Con 
stance  doubted  the  benefits  of  that  alkaline  lotion  on 
her  zealously-preserved  complexion.  Grace  smiled 
grimly  and  emptying  the  remainder  of  the  water  out  of 
his  sombrero  handed  it  to  him  with  exaggerated  thank 
fulness. 

He  took  it  with  a  modest  declaimer  and  turned  to 
the  readjustment  of  his  saddle  which1  had  been  dis 
placed  during  the  rescue.  Then  he  went  to  the  recov 
ery  of  the  accoutrements  of  the  dead  horse  in  the  arroyo 
and  when  he  returned  Mrs.  Brevoort  was  in  more  ap 
propriate  condition  to  receive  his  formal  introduction 
and  convey  her  gratitude  for  the  supreme  service  he 
had  rendered.  He  evaded  most  of  the  latter  by  hastily 
riding  back  to  town  in  the  hopes  of  securing  her  another 
mount.  He  returned  with  the  discomfiting  report  that 
there  was  not  a  single  ridable  animal  available,  and 
suggested  that  the  ladies  return  to  Tin  Cup  and  stay 
over  night,  a  rider  being  meanwhile  sent  to  the  C  Bar 
ranch  for  a  horse  that  she  could  handle  with  safety. 


i94          THE  SONG  OE  THE  STOLE 

As  it  was  already  well  along  in  the  heel  of  the  day  they 
were  compelled  to  accept  his  advice  and  the  return  to  the 
hotel  was  soon  effected. 

He  was  all  deference  to  Miss  Carter  throughout  the 
evening  meal  and  the  short  succeeding  hour  of  his  com 
pany  which  he  accorded  them.  He  was  frank  in  his 
confession  of  failure  to  find  the  mineral  deposits  of 
which  he  had  been  in  search,  although  positive  in  his 
conviction  that  he  would  be  ultimately  successful.  He 
was  exceedingly  affable  in  his  manner  and  Grace  was  all 
sweetness  in  return.  Constance  Brevoort,  watching  the 
little  by-play,  was  genuinely  amused;  with  the  wisdom 
of  the  old  serpent  she  effaced  herself  as  much  as  possi 
ble,  and  as  soon  as  conventionality  would  permit,  ex 
cused  herself  and  retired  to  her  room,  leaving  the  leaven 
of  her  beauty  to  work  in  what  she  correctly  judged  to 
be  warm  and  fertile  soil.  It  was  a  clever  bit  of  strat 
egy  that  would  in  nine  out  of  ten  instances  have  been 
altogether  successful  and  she  smiled  as  she  looked  into 
the  little  mirror. 

"  This  one  will  be  worth  while,"  she  mused  aloud, 
her  mouth  full  of  hair-pins.  "  But  he  will  require  dif 
ferent  treatment  from  the  others,  and  will  have  to  be 
handled  carefully.  But  why  did  she  say  he  was  not 
handsome?  The  man  is  as  beautiful  as  a  Greek  god 
done  in  bronze.  And  he  has  the  strength  of  ten.  He 
caught  me  up  like  a  feather."  She  looked  with  a 
strange  admiration  at  the  slight  discoloration  of  the 
white  flesh  where  his  arm  had  gripped  her  waist. 
"  Yes,  he  will  be  worth  while." 

But   fate  had  capriciously  designed  this  to  be  the 


GREAT  EXPECTATIONS  195 

tenth  instance;  after  she  had  left  the  room  an  embar 
rassing  silence  had  fallen  upon  the  stuffy  little  parlor 
and  after  awhile,  Douglass  rose  diffidently  and  stalked 
toward  the  door,  mumbling  some  conventional  excuse 
for  his  departure.  His  hand  was  already  on  the  door 
knob  when  his  name,  softly  spoken,  caused  him  to  turn 
instantly.  Grace  had  also  risen  and  was  standing  be 
side  the  table  with  one  hand  partly  extended  and  some 
thing  very  like  entreaty  in  her  eyes. 

"  Tell  me,"  she  said  without  preamble,  coming 
straight  to  the  point,  "  why  did  you  leave  the  C  Bar? 
My  brother  says  you  gave  no  reason ;  and  I  think  I  have 
a  right  to  know." 

For  the  eternal  half  of  a  minute  he  regarded  her  with 
somber  scorn.  "  I  guess  you've  got  another  think  com 
ing,"  he  said  with  slangy  impoliteness.  "  When,  and 
where,  and  how,  and  by  whom  was  conferred  upon  you 
the  right  to  demand  of  me  an  accounting  of  my  private 
affairs?" 

Her  bosom  was  heaving  in  hot  resentment  of  his 
studied  incivility  and  her  lips  trembled  with  a  fierce  de 
sire  to  give  him  scorn  for  scorn.  But  she  had  too  much 
at  stake  and  another  opportunity  might  not  offer  if  she 
let  the  present  one  escape  her.  So  she  wisely  availed 
herself  of  woman's  best  weapon  and  a  tear  glistened  in 
her  eye  as  she  said  humbly:  "  I  presumed  too  greatly; 
and  I  am  fully  rebuked.  I  have  no  right  —  not  even 
the  right  to  expect  courtesy  and  justice  at  your  hands. 
Yet  you  are  a  fair  man,  and  some  terrible  mistake  seems 
to  have  been  made  somehow.  Tell  me,  please,  why  did 
you  leave  us  as  you  did?" 


1 96  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

He  answered  her,  Yankee-wise,  with  a  counter  ques 
tion:  "  Why  did  you  show  Abbie  my  poem?  " 

"  Abbie  —  your  poem  — !  I  do  not  understand!" 
Her  genuine  wonder  and  surprise  made  him  feel  un 
easy.  'Could  it  be  possible,  after  all,  that  she  was  guilt 
less?  If  so  —  God!  what  a  fool  he  had  made  of  him 
self!  He  crossed  the  room  impulsively,  and  laying  his 
hand  on  her  shoulder,  looked  squarely  into  her  dewy 
eyes.  She  met  his  look  bravely,  then  gently  removing 
his  hand,  walked  in  her  turn  to  the  door.  He  inter 
cepted  her  with  a  quick  movement,  his  jaws  squaring 
with  determination. 

"  Let  us  have  this  thing  out,  here  and  now !  Why 
did  you  deliberately  make  a  laughing  stock  of  me  by 
exhibiting  that  foolish  bit  of  verse  and  so  expose  me 
to  the  ridicule  of  the  whole  range?  I  want  the  truth." 

"  And  you  could  think  me  guilty  of  that !  "  There 
was  more  of  sorrowful  pity  than  indignation  in  the 
words  and  they  cut  him  like  a  bullet.  "  Let  me  pass, 
please.  I  have  no  further  curiosity  to  satisfy." 

He  barred  the  way  obstinately,  a  shamed  contrition 
struggling  with  sullen  incredulity  for  the  mastery. 
"  Wait  a  minute,"  he  said  thickly.  u  If  I  am  wrong 
in  this  I  humbly  beg  your  pardon,  but  I  am  going  to  be 
sure  before  I  humiliate  myself  unnecessarily."  Angry 
as  she  was,  she  had  much  difficulty  to  repress  a  smile 
at  the  arrogance  of  his  vanity. 

u  Abbie  taunted  me  with  writing  poetry  and  the  men 
joined  in  her  insinuations.  Their  only  knowledge  of 
my  foolishness  could  have  been  derived  from  one 
source  —  the  notebook  which  I  lost  and  which  you  re- 


GREAT  EXPECTATIONS  197 

turned  to  me.  There  was  no  reference  to  it  made  be 
fore  it  came  into  your  possession.  What  was  I  to  in 
fer?" 

"  That  book  was  handed  to  me  by  my  mother,  who, 
as  I  understand,  got  it  from  one  of  the  men  who  found 
it  at  the  gate.  He  thought  it  belonged  to  my  brother 
and  so  gave  it  to  her.  I  beg  to  assure  you  that  no  one 
saw  or  handled  it  while  in  my  possession  but  myself. 
And  I  certainly  have  not  discussed  its  contents  with  any 
one."  Reading  full  belief  in  his  eyes,  she  recovered 
her  composure  instantly  and  thereafter  had  him  on  the 
defensive. 

"Was  the  poetry  really  as  bad  as  all  that?"  she 
asked  with  such  apparent  innocent  naivete  that  he  was 
compelled  against  his  will  to  smile  somewhat  sheep 
ishly. 

"  It  was  arrant  nonsense,"  he  confessed.  And  then, 
somewhat  bitterly.  *'  Yet  it  was  written  in  good  faith, 
every  word  of  it." 

"  Then  I  should  like  to  read  it,"  she  said,  with  hypo 
critical  interest.  "  I  am  curious  to  learn  what  could 
be  the  nature  of  the  impressions  that  you  could  be  im 
pelled  to  perpetuate  in  verse." 

"  I  thought  you  had  no  further  curiosity  to  satisfy," 
he  retorted  evasively,  his  suspicions  now  entirely  dissi 
pated.  "  And  I  do  not  care  to  risk  subjecting  myself  to 
any  further  indignities." 

"  That  Is  very  unkind  of  you."  The  reproof  was 
gravely  gentle.  "  My  interest  is  not  that  of  mere  curi 
osity,  believe  me.  I  prophesied  once  that  you  could 
write  poetry,  remember.  It  would  be  a  great  pleasure 


i98;          THE  SONG  OE  THE  WOLF 

to  read  the  vindication  of  my  intuition.  That  is  wom 
an's  best  trump  card,  you  know.  Please." 

She  laid  her  hand  on  his  arm  and  he  fumbled  irreso 
lutely  with  his  hat;  she  smiled  confidently,  knowing  well 
that  he  who  hesitates  with  a  woman  is  lost.  Although 
greatly  against  his  inclination  he  took  the  book  from 
his  inside  pocket  and  put  it  in  her  hand,  opened  at  the 
verse  she  was  so  familiar  with. 

With  a  great  pretense  at  its  more  convenient  read 
ing,  she  went  over  to  the  lamp  on  the  table ;  but  it  was 
really  to  hide  a  sudden  trepidation  she  felt  at  her  own 
audacity  in  thus  forcing  his  hand.  In  order  to  gain  time 
she  reread  it  a  second  and  then  a  third  time.  In  the 
presence  of  the  man  standing  there  silently  waiting  her 
judgment,  the  lines  took  on  a  new  and  strange  meaning, 
an  intensity  of  pathetic  appeal  that  filled  her  eyes  with 
tears.  She  made  no  attempt  to  conceal  them  as  she 
returned  the  booklet. 

"  I  thank  you,"  she  said  very  gently.  "  It  is  my  vin 
dication  —  and  my  answer  as  well.  '  A  great  Love's 
ecstasy ! '  May  it  be  yours  —  and  without  the  pen 
alty." 

Her  face  was  drawn  and  wan,  and  the  hand  she  ex 
tended  to  him  as  she  bade  him  good  night  trembled 
visibly.  He  took  it  in  both  his  and  for  an  immortal 
second,  happiness  was  very  close  to  those  two  young 
people,  had  they  only  known.  But  Cupid  was  ever  a 
mischievous  imp  and  one  of  his  arrows  had  only 
glanced;  he  laughed  derisively  and  turned  his  back,  re 
solving  to  drive  the  shaft  home  mercilessly  when  time 
and  longing  had  worn  to  the  quick  this  big  simpleton's 


GREAT  EXPECTATIONS  199 

armor  of  obtuse  vanity,  as  Douglass,  restraining  a  sud 
den  mad  desire  to  take  this  woman  in  his  arms  and 
bruise  her  mouth  with  kisses,  merely  laid  his  lips  re 
spectfully  on  the  little  hand  and  deferentially  held  open 
the  door. 

At  the  entrance  of  the  hotel  he  encountered  Red 
McVey,  coming  to  assure  himself  of  the  safety  of  the 
ladies.  He  had  ridden  out  to  meet  them  on  their  re 
turn  journey,  as  was  his  wont,  and,  meeting  the  rider 
sent  for  a  new  mount  for  Mrs.  Brevoort,  had  sent  him 
on  to  the  ranch  with  definite  instructions,  electing  him 
self  to  ride  through  to  town  and  as  a  matter  of  precau 
tion,  accompany  them  home  the  next  day.  The  rider 
had  not  mentioned  Douglass's  participation  in  the  mis 
hap,  and  his  presence  was  therefore  a  surprise  to 
McVey,  who  was  unaffectedly  glad  to  see  his  best  friend 
again. 

At  the  Alcazar,  a  little  later,  Red  had  a  sapient  sug 
gestion  to  make :  "  Befoh  yuh  squandah  all  thu  gold 
yuh  been  diggin'  outen  yuh  leetle  ole  mine,  Ken,  on  this 
yeah  mad-wateh  outfit,  yuh  betteh  lay  yuh  a  leetle  nest 
aig.  Thu  Vaughans  want  to  sell  theah  ranch  an'  go 
east;  reckon  twenty  thousand  would  buy  it,  cattle  an' 
all.  If  yuh  got  that  much  denario  in  yuh  jeans  it's  a 
mighty  big  bahgain." 

"  Twenty  thousand !  "  said  Douglass  derisively. 
"  You  haven't  heard  of  a  lone  cowpuncher  about  my 
size  that's  been  holding  up  any  banks  or  treasure  trains, 
have  you  ?  Twenty  thousand !  Why  say,  you  old  red 
headed  funny-bone,  I'm  ashamed  to  tell  you  what  I'd  do 
for  one-half  that  much  money,  honest  I  am.  I'm  just 


200          THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

seven  bones  to  the  good  and  IVe  come  down  here  to 
make  it  a  couple  of  hundred,  so's  I  can  eat  till  the  grass 
comes.  It's,  next  year  I'll  be  buying  twenty  thousand- 
dollar  bargains;  the  gold  is  there,  all  right,  and  I'm 
going  to  find  it." 

"  I  bought  out  a  claim  up  there,"  he  continued,  "  and 
who  do  you  think  owned  it  first?"  He  chuckled  at 
thought  of  the  surprise  he  was  going  to  spring  on  Red. 
But  his  mirth  got  a  sudden  check  as  McVey  nodded  his 
head  knowingly. 

"Yes,  I  heered  about  it;  'twer  Matlock,  an'  he's 
been  talkin'  a  heap  disrespec'ful  about  how  he  broke  it 
off  in  yuh,  oveh  to  Cheyenne.  Says  as  how  he  is  seven 
hundred  dollars  nearer  even  with  yuh.  I  didn't  think 
yuh'd  let  that  coyote  soak  yuh  thataway."  His  words 
were  distinctly  reproachful.  Douglass  smiled  mysteri 
ously. 

"  Don't  you  worry  about  my  soaking,  old-timer. 
He'll  talk  even  more  disrespectfully  of  himself  about 
this  time  next  year.  That  claim  lies  lengthwise  along 
the  top  of  the  ridge,  on  both  sides  of  it,  and  so  consti 
tutes  the  '  apex '  of  every  vein  below  it  throughout  its 
full  length.  I  am  perfectly  aware  that  he  salted  it  for 
my  benefit  with  ore  taken  from  the  Bonanza  mine.  I 
saw  him  doing  it!  But  even  if  I  hadn't  known  all 
about  it  I  wouldn't  have  been  fooled.  The  formation 
is  entirely  different  from  the  Bonanza  locality  and  any 
miner,  let  alone  a  professional  mining  engineer  as  I 
happen  to  be,  would  have  tumbled  to  the  salting  at  first 
sight  of  the  stuff  the  fool  scattered  about  the  place. 


GREAT  EXPECTATIONS  201 

And  that  apex  controls  the  vein  that  this  came  from !  " 
He  fished  a  bit  of  rock  from  his  pocket  and  passed  it 
to  Red,  whose  eyes  bulged  out  as  he  looked.  Through 
its  center,  from  side  to  side,  ran  a  ribbon  of  dull  yellow 
metal  as  wide  as  one's  finger.  Even  to  Red's  unmet- 
allurgical  eyes  its  identity  was  plain. 

"  Gold!  Pure  gold!  "  he  murmured  with  respectful 
awe.  Then  his  big  paw  went  out  congratulatingly. 
"  Shake !  Gawd,  ole  man,  but  I'm  shore  glad !  " 

"  What's  a  *  apex  '  ?  "  he  inquired  of  Douglass,  some 
six  hundred  dollars  winner  for  the  night,  as  he  left  the 
faro  table  and  walked  arm  in  arm  with  him  to  the  hotel. 
Douglass  was  very  explicit  in  his  explanation. 

"  Nearly  all  true  fissure  veins  in  these  mountains  are 
to  all  practical  intents  and  purposes  vertical;  that  is, 
they  run  straight  up  and  down  instead  of  lying  horizon 
tal.  It  naturally  follows  that,  if  they  don't  pinch  out 
before  they  get  there,  they  come  to  the  surface  at  or 
near  the  top  of  the  hill.  The  courts  have  decided  that 
a  claim  located  on  the  top  or  '  apex '  of  such  veins  con 
trols  them  to  whatever  depth  they  may  run ;  that  is,  an 
'  apex  '  claim  holds  all  the  veins  under  it  clean  down  to 
China !  So  the  fellow  who  owns  the  *  apex '  practi 
cally  owns  the  whole  mountain  for  a  space  as  long  as  the 
length  of  his  claim.  To  make  sure  of  catching  the 
apex  of  any  veins  in  the  hill  I  took  up  two  extensions  — 
one  on  each  side  of  the  claim  I  bought  from  Matlock 
and  his  partner,  so  that  my  holdings  are  fifteen  hundred 
feet  long  by  nine  hundred  feet  wide;  as  the  hill  crest 
is  almost  a  knife-edge  in  sharpness  I  cover  every  vein 


202          THE  SONG  OE  THE  STOLE 

in  it.  And  somewhere  under  the  loose  slide-rock  on 
that  hill  lies  the  lode  from  which  this  comes !  Do  you 
sabe  now?  " 

Red  gurgled  his  full  comprehension.  "  Why  yuh 
damned  ole  foxy  gran'pa !  I  orter  knowed  thet  yuh 
wouldn't  let  thet  swab  do  yuh !  But  howd'  yuh  come 
to  be  dealin'  with  Mattock?  I  been  a  heap  oneasy 
in  my  mind  about  that." 

u  Well,  it  was  this  way:  Two  years  ago  his  partner, 
old  Eric  Olsen,  the  big  Swede  that  Coogan  bought  the 
Palace  from,  you  know,  saw  me  prospecting  on  that 
mountain  and  naturally  figured  that  I  had  found  some 
good  indications  of  mineral  there  or  I  would  not  be 
fooling  around.  So  they  plotted  to  salt  a  claim  or  two 
and  swindle  me  a  bit,  their  own  prospecting  of  the 
ground  revealing  nothing  at  all.  The  whole  mountain 
side  is  covered  with  slide-rock  and  there  is  no  mineral 
in  sight.  So,  calculating  that  a  fool  cowpuncher  knew 
nothing  about  geology  and  so  would  bite  at  anything 
he  could  see  with  his  own  eyes,  they  stole  a  Tot  of  rich 
ore  from  the  Bonanza,  over  at  Breckenridge,  and  salted 
her  up  good!  As  it  happened,  they  chose  the  very 
claim  I  wanted  to  file  on,  the  apex,  and  so  I  had  to  buy 
them  out.  I  never  came  in  contact  with  either  of 
them  at  all ;  I  bought  it  through  a  mining  broker.  But 
for  a  whole  day  I  watched  them  through  my  field 
glasses  salting  the  ground.  The  funny  part  of  it  is  that 
by  a  very  little  work  —  Olsen  is  a  good  man  with 
a  drill  and  powder,  you  know  —  they  did  enough  linear 
shafting  to  enable  me  to  patent  the  ground.  And  in 
the  five  months  that  I  have  been  at  work  on  the  ex- 


GREAT  EXPECTATIONS  203 

tensions  I  have  done  enough  work  on  each  of  them  to 
patent  them  also.  That's  what  I  wanted  this  six  hun 
dred  for.  In  ten  days  I'll  have  them  patented,  too,  and 
then  no  one  can  jump  them  or  cause  me  any  trouble 
when  I  come  to  work  the  leads  which  I  am  sure  lie 
under  my  apex  claims." 

On  the  first  of  the  new  year  he  received  his  patents 
from  Washington;  and  in  the  interim  he  had  secured 
work  that  promised  to  put  him  in  sufficient  funds  to 
prosecute  developments  on  his  mining  claims. 


CHAPTER  XVI 
THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

THE  next  morning,  yielding  to  McVey's  urgencies, 
he  consented  to  take  part  in  the  fall  round-up  just  at 
hand,  working  in  the  interests  of  the  C  Bar  outfit. 

In  the  ensuing  days  of  strenuous  toil  he  worked 
harder  than  he  had  ever  done  before  in  all  his  range 
experience,  spurred  with  the  idea  that  he  owed  Carter 
some  reparation  for  leaving  his  service  so  unceremo 
niously,  and  his  staunch  yeomanry  appealed  particularly 
to  Anselm  Brevoort,  who  had  run  out  to  see  a  rodeo  and 
have  a  month's  hunt  with  Carter.  As  the  best  hunter 
among  the  C  Bar  men  it  naturally  devolved  upon 
Douglass,  after  the  range  work  was  done,  to  act  as 
guide  to  Brevoort  and  the  ladies,  who  developed  a  great 
interest  in  the  sport. 

It  was  upon  one  of  these  trips  that  Brevoort  casually 
mentioned  his  temptation  to  buy  a  ranch  as  an  invest 
ment,  asking  Douglass's  advice  in  the  matter.  The 
latter  expressing  some  diffidence  in  the  premises,  Bre 
voort  brought  the  point  in  issue  to  a  definite  focus  by 
asking  him  if  he  thought  the  price  asked  for  the  Vau- 
ghan  holdings,  twenty  thousand  dollars,  was  excessive. 
Douglass  thought  it  was  excessively  cheap,  to  the  con 
trary,  and  said  so  emphatically. 

204 


THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF  205 

"  I  would  gladly  give  thirty  for  it  if  I  had  the  money. 
There  are  more  than  twenty  thousand  dollars'  worth  of 
cattle  in  the  VN  brand  without  counting  the  ranch 
lands,  which  are  worth  nearly  as  much  more.  I  think 
the  Vaughans  are  loco  to  sell  at  the  price !  " 

They  had  just  finished  luncheon  and  were  lounging 
about  a  little  spring  enjoying  their  postprandial  pipes. 
Mrs.  Brevoort  was  dallying  with  a  dainty  papelito  and 
Grace  was  fussing  with  her  pocket  camera.  Constance, 
gracefully  exhaling  a  perfumed  wraith,  looked  signifi 
cantly  to  her  husband,  who  gave  an  imperceptible  nod 
and  after  a  few  thoughtful  puffs  came  to  the  marrow 
of  his  subject. 

''  That's  Carter's  opinion,  too,  and  McVey  thinks 
it  a  great  bargain,  also.  And  as  Mrs.  Brevoort  has 
taken  a  great  fancy  to  the  place  for  some  reason,  I  think 
I  will  take  it;  that  is,  if  I  can  secure  some  competent 
man  to  manage  it  for  me.  It  would  be  a  position  of 
entire  trust  as  I  know  nothing  of  the  business  and  would 
necessarily  be  unable  to  give  it  scarcely  any  attention, 
my  time  being  fully  occupied  otherwise.  Are  you  open 
to  such  an  engagement,  Mr.  Douglass?" 

Grace  Carter,  her  attention  apparently  riveted  upon 
some  intricate  adjustment  of  her  camera,  scarcely 
breathed;  Constance  Brevoort,  flicking  the  ash  from 
her  cigarette,  never  moved  an  eyelash.  In  the  silence 
which  followed  the  question,  the  champing  of  the  horses 
on  the  grain  in  their  nose-bags  sounded  to  the  women 
like  a  threshing  machine. 

"I  am  much  flattered !"  said  Douglass,  slowly. 
"  But  I  am  afraid  that  I  will  not  be  able  to  accept  your 


206  THE  SONG  OE  THE  HOLE 

offer.  I  have  some  mining  interests  to  look  after 
and  — " 

"  But  I  understood  you  to  say  that  you  would  gladly 
give  thirty  thousand  dollars  for  it  if  you  were  in  funds. 
That  presupposes  that  you  could  find  the  time  if  neces 
sary,"  said  Breevort,  with  humorous  insistence.  "  Look 
here,  Douglass,  I  am  not  in  the  habit  of  loading  myself 
up  with  dubious  investments,  and  I  wouldn't  give  ten  dol 
lars  for  the  whole  layout  unless  I  can  secure  you  as 
manager.  In  your  hands  I  feel  as  though  I  would  get 
fair  returns  on  my  outlay.  I  am  frank  to  say  I  have 
4  looked  you  up  '  as  we  say  in  town,  and  I  want  you  to 
give  it  further  consideration  before  turning  my  offer 
down.  As  to  your  mining  interests,  perhaps  I  could 
be  of  some  assistance  to  you  in  that  direction.  Think 
it  over;  I  won't  take  no  for  an  answer  right  off  the 
reel." 

As  he  was  unsaddling  the  horses  on  their  return  that 
night,  Miss  Carter,  coming  with  some  sugar  lumps  for 
her  pet  roan,  stopped  long  enough  to  shyly  venture  the 
hope  that  he  would  be  able  to  become  one  of  the  neigh 
bors. 

"  The  sale  of  their  ranch  will  allow  Nellie  Vaughan 
to  achieve  the  dream  of  her  life,  an  extended  trip 
abroad,  and  one  realizes  so  few  of  one's  dreams  in  this 
life,  you  know !  Besides,  you  are  part  of  the  environ 
ment  to  me.  You  really  *  belong ' !  I  do  hope  you 
will  accept  Mr.  Brevoort's  proposal  —  for  Nellie's 
sake !  " 

Very  deliberately  he  hung  the  saddle  on  the  rack. 


THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF  207 

Then  he  came  close  to  her,  looking  very  masterful  and 
strong  in  the  white  moonlight. 

"  Nellie  is  to  be  congratulated  on  the  thoughtfulness 
of  her  loving  friends !  But  why  should  I,  who  am 
not  one  of  them,  take  her  into  consideration  at  all? 
Promiscuous  philanthropy  is  not  my  forte.  The  in 
ducement  is  small.  Have  you  nothing  better  to  of 
fer?" 

"For  our  sakes,  then;"  she  said  ambiguously. 
"  We  will  feel  easier  if  you  remain  on  this  range,  feel 
more  secure  in  our  lives  and  property."  He  flushed 
at  the  immensity  of  the  compliment  but  ruthlessly 
forced  her  hand. 

"  That's  rather  high,  but  still  not  enough.  Bid 
again!  " 

"  For  my  sake !  "  It  was  nearly  a  whisper,  but  he 
heard.  His  eyes  were  triumphantly  bright  as,  deftly 
eluding  his  curving  arm,  she  sped  swiftly  away  in  the 
benign  darkness.  But  it  was  a  different  glow  from 
any  which  had  ever  irradiated  them  before:  This  was 
that  of  a  soft,  sweet  tenderness  that  vaguely  soothed 
even  while  strongly  disconcerting  him.  He  was  very 
quiet  under  the  spell  of  it  as  he  went  into  supper,  and 
noticeably  distrait  during  the  game  of  chess  which  he 
subsequently  played  with  Mrs.  Brevoort  in  the  big  liv 
ing  room  later  on. 

Beating  him  with  ridiculous  ease  she  declined  an 
other  game,  saying,  laughingly :  "  You  are  not  in  form 
to-night,  Mr.  Douglass,  and  I  like  victories  more  diffi 
cult  of  achievement.  Time  was  when  I  was  content 


208  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

with  mere  winning,  no  matter  how  easy  the  attainment 
of  that  end.  But  this  life  out  here  has  spoiled  me  for 
inanities  forever.  I  have  still  the  insatiable  desire  for 
conquest,  but  now  I  want  to  go  up  against  odds  and 
win,  to  bring  into  camp  only  opponents  worthy  of  my 
steel." 

"  But  that,"  he  said,  with  conventional  politeness, 
"  is  unthinkable.  There  can  be  none  entirely  worthy 
of  you!  "  She  made  a  little  moue  at  the  wearisome 
compliment. 

"  Why  do  all  men  say  the  same  things !  I'm  quite 
sure  I've  heard  something  like  that  a  hundred  times 
before.  In  fact,  I've  come  three  thousand  miles  to  get 
away  from  it.  Say  something  original,  please,  even 
if  it  be  something  wicked !  " 

He  looked  at  her  queerly  but  she  met  his  gaze  with 
eyes  as  audacious  as  her  words.  Over  at  the  piano 
Grace  was  playing  with  much  tender  feeling  one  of 
Chopin's  delicious  nocturnes;  before  the  open  fireplace, 
Carter,  Brevoort  and  McVey  were  discussing  the  pos 
sibilities  of  a  well-managed  ranch.  The  big  room 
with  its  happy  combination  of  modern  and  primitive 
amenities  was  the  epitome  of  cheerfulness  and  comfort. 

"  Original?  No  man  can  say  anything  that  is  that. 
The  possibilities  were  exhausted  centuries  ago.  Even 
Sin  is  stereotyped.  There  have  always  been  women 
like  you  'and  men  like  me !  What  on  earth  could  a 
man  in  rny  position  say  to  a  woman  in  yours  that  would 
be  acceptably  wicked?" 

She  smiled  inscrutably;  there  was  no  abstraction  in 
his  manner  now.  "  And  yet  you  are  so  bold  in  other 


THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF  209 

things !  "  she  said,  tauntingly.  "  To  the  brave  all 
things  are  possible." 

From  far  out  in  the  darkness  came  the  weird,  long- 
drawn,  mournful  howl  of  some  gaunt  timber  wolf  for 
aging  with  his  mate.  It  was  very  faint  and  the  others, 
deeply  engrossed  in  music  and  money  matters,  were  un 
conscious  of  it.  At  its  eerie  repetition  she  laid  her 
hand  lightly  on  his  arm. 

"  Listen !  That  is  something  new  to  me  at  all 
events.  What  can  it  be?  " 

"  Only  l  the  voice  of  one  crying  in  the  wilderness,'  " 
he  whimsically  quoted.  "  A  gray  wolf  calling  to  his 
mate."  He  laid  his  hand  restrainingly  on  hers  and 
leaned  so  close  that  his  hot  breath  swept  her  cheek. 

"  I  wonder  how  brave,  or  wicked,  you  could  really 
be,  you  wonderful  creature ! "  he  murmured,  insidi 
ously.  Her  color  heightened  but  she  made  no  reply. 
The  pulse  was  very  distinct  in  the  veins  of  the  soft 
little  warm  hand  lying  tremulously  beneath  his.  "  Lis 
ten  !  There  it  is  again,  the  call  of  the  Wild,  the  voice 
out  of  the  Primitive  inviting  strong  souls  back  into  the 
boundless  realm  of  the  great  First  Cause.  Are  you 
brave  enough  to  accept  it,  to  go  out  and  be  the  most 
gloriously  fierce  wolf  of  them  all?  " 

"  Why,"  she  exclaimed,  with  a  labored  vivacity  that 
deceived  neither  of  them,  "  that  is  certainly  original!  " 

'*  With  —  say  with  me  for  a  running  mate !  "  His 
voice  was  scarcely  audible. 

"  And  that  is  decidedly  wicked!  "  She  gently  with 
drew  her  hand.  But  there  was  small  reproof  in  the 
seductive  smile  playing  about  her  red  lips.  With 


210  THE  SONG  OF.  THE  WOLF 

the  arrogance  of  the  youthfully  virile  and  strong  he 
glanced  contemptuously  at  the  slight  figure  before  the 
fireplace,  old  and  worn  and  gray,  debilitated  with  the 
fierce  excesses  of  the  chase  after  money;  then  he  looked 
at  the  radiant  beauty  of  the  voluptuous  young  woman 
beside  him  and  laughed  grimly  at  the  painful  disparity 
between  man  and  wife. 

"  And  they  say  marriages  are  made  in  heaven !  " 
To  his  credit  be  it  said  that  he  had  intended  the  sneer  to 
be  mental  only,  but  somehow  or  other,  perhaps  tele- 
pathically,  the  woman  bent  her  head  and  a  wave  of 
crimson  suffused  her  face. 

"  Wolves  know  no  conventions,"  he  went  on  with 
tense  vehemence.  "  Out  there  in  the  wild  soul  calls 
to  soul,  body  leaps  to  body  in  the  fitness  of  true  affinity. 
It  is  all  Life,  and  therefore  all  Love;  for  Life  is  Love 
incarnated.  The  senile  moralists  of  Humanity,  that 
least  fit  race  of  all  earthly  animals,  preach  the  equality 
of  the  sexes.  As  applied  to  human  beings  that  is  a 
lie.  It  is  only  out  there  among  the  wolves  that  She  is 
the  equal  of  He  in  all  things,  his  mental,  physical, 
psychical  and  sexual  peer.  That  is  why  the  type  is 
kept  pure  and  eternal.  The  wolf  of  twenty  centuries 
hence  will  be  fully  the  equal  of  the  wolf  of  to-day. 
And  why?  Because  of  the  virtue  of  perfect  natural 
selection  —  the  fittest  to  the  fittest,  without  the  let  and 
hindrance  of  sickly  sentimentality,  the  unnatural  join 
ing  by  Man-god  made  crimes  of  the  unfit  to  the  fit. 
Wolves  breed  wolves,  with  full  powers  of  the  highest 
enjoyment  of  Life  and  Love.  Humanity  begets  weak 
lings,  cowards,  driveling  idiots  whose  highest  evolution 


THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF  211 

is  that  shapeless  thing  called  Hope,  whose  greatest 
virtue  is  submission  to  the  anomalies  of  civilization. 
Even  you,  who  could  be  the  peer  of  any  wolf  that  ever 
ran  untrammeled  — " 

He  stopped  abruptly,  ashamed  of  his  vehemence, 
and  somewhat  abashed  by  the  indulgent  if  slightly  sat 
irical  smile  of  his  amused  listener. 

"  Even  if  I  could  run,  and  howl,  and  go  hungry;  every 
man's  hand,  and  what  is  infinitely  worse,  every  woman's 
tongue  against  me!  And  what  could  the  Wolf  give 
me  in  exchange  for  this?"  waving  her  hand  around 
the  room  comprehensively  and  incidentally  fondling  her 
jewels. 

"  He  could  give  you  something  in  exchange  for 
that'9  he  said,  with  a  sinister  glance  towards  the  fire 
place  and  again  she  dropped  her  eyes. 

He  drew  the  chess  board  towards  him  and  began 
mechanically  arranging  the  pieces.  Then  he  swept 
them  impatiently  into  a  heap  and  made  as  if  to  arise. 
She  leaned  forward  suddenly  and  again  laid  her  hand 
on  his  arm. 

"  The  wolf  subject  is  an  interesting  one  to  me.  It 
is  really  a  pity  that  I  will  not  be  accorded  an  oppor 
tunity  of  studying  them  in  their  native  haunts.  If  it 
were  not  for  your,  to  us,  unfortunate  obligations  else 
where,  I  should  devote  quite  a  portion  of  my  time  to 
the  pursuit  of  more  definite  information  about  them." 

His  hot  hand  almost  burned  hers.  "  Why  shouldn't 
you  investigate  the  matter  if  you  want  to?  Your  hus 
band  is  going  to  buy  the  VN  ranch !  "  In  silence  more 
eloquent  than  words  she  gave  him  her  hand. 


212  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

After  a  few  desultory  minutes  with  the  group  about 
the  fireplace,  he  strolled  over  to  the  piano.  Grace 
welcomed  him  shyly,  her  touch  on  the  keys  a  little  un 
certain  as  in  compliance  with  her  request  he  sang  to 
her  accompaniment  the  Toreador  song  from  Carmen. 
The  request  was  an  inspiration  on  her  part,  she  never 
having  heard  him  sing  before,  and  she  had  preferred  it 
only  to  cover  her  soft  confusion  as  she  suddenly  felt 
rather  than  saw  his  presence  behind  her.  If  his  in 
stant  compliance  had  surprised  her,  his  execution  of  it 
was  a  revelation  to  everyone  in  the  room.  He  sang 
it  easily  and  freely,  a  little  raucously  from  lack  of  prac 
tice,  it  is  true,  but  with  the  power  and  richness  of  voice 
that  made  even  Constance  Brevoort,  hypercritical  as 
she  was  in  things  musical,  sit  breathless  to  its  conclu 
sion. 

The  silence  which  followed  was  first  broken  by  Red. 
"  Gee,  Ken,"  he  said  quaintly,  "  who'd  ever  thought 
yuh  could  beller  so  melojious  as  that!  Why,  yuh're 
a  reg'lah  preemoh-johnny  1  "  In  the  hilarity  which  this 
evoked  Grace  said,  reproachfully: 

"  And  to  think  I  never  knew !  " 

He  was  almost  boyishly  elated  at  the  implied  com 
pliment,  and,  at  the  insistence  of  his  audience  sang  sev 
eral  other  operatic  selections  very  creditably.  Then  he 
turned  in  modest  explanation  to  Carter's  demand. 

"  We  all  sang  a  little  at  college,  you  know,  and  my 
mother  was  an  accomplished  musician.  It  is  four  years 
since  I  last  sang.  You  are  overkind  to  me." 

"  Do  you  not  play  as  well  ?  "  impulsively  asked  Mrs. 
Brevoort.  He  shook  his  head  negatively. 


THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF  213 

"  Only  a  few  accompaniment  chords  that  I  smash 
out  indifferently!  and  I  am  dubious  of  my  ability  to 
do  that  after  all  these  years  of  roping  and  ditch  dig 
ging-" 

Anselm  Brevoort,  watching  him  speculatively  through 

a  fragrant  cloud  of  cigar  smoke,  suddenly  sprang  a 
bomb.  "  Have  you  ever  composed,  Mr.  Douglass, 
written  any  songs,  for  instance?  I  have  heard  that 
you  range  men  have  an  aptitude  in  that  direction." 

Douglass  surveyed  him  levelly  for  a  moment,  his 
face  hardening  with  quick  suspicion.  "  I  have  done 
most  things  foolish,  after  the  manner  of  my  kind,  Mr. 
Brevoort,"  he  said,  curtly;  "but  I  hardly  think  you 
would  find  even  a  passing  interest  in  anything  I  have 
accomplished  in  that  direction.1'  Whereupon  that 
astute  financier  subsided  promptly,  evincing  no  further 
curiosity  as  to  the  poetic  attainments  of  this  uncom 
fortably  straight-speaking  young  personage.  He 
was  a  very  shrewd  man  and  had  long  since  learned 
to  respect  the  moods  and  idiosyncrasies  of  other 
men. 

But  Constance,  his  wife,  detecting  the  sharp  irrita 
tion  in  Douglass's  voice,  was  seized  with  a  malicious 
desire  to  know  its  cause ;  like  her  husband  she  was  think 
ing  :  ;<  That  caught  him  on  the  raw,  somehow.  I 
wonder  why?  " 

'  You  should  allow  your  friends  to  be  the  judge  of 
that,  Mr.  Douglass,"  she  said,  pleasantly.  "  I  am 
quite  certain  myself  that  we  should  find  much  more  than 
a  passing  interest  if  we  could  induce  you  to  favor  us. 
The  songs  inspired  by  this  environment  must  naturally 


2i4          THE  SONG  OE  THE  W.OLE 

be  full  of  color  and  strength.  I  should  very  much  en 
joy  hearing  one." 

"Upon  your  heads  be  it,  then!  "  He  seated  him 
self  at  the  piano.  "  This,"  he  said,  turning  to  Mrs. 
Brevoort,  meaningly,  "  I  call  '  The  Song  of  the 
Wolf.'  " 

Through  the  silence  of  the  room  crept  a  queer,  faint 
murmur  like  the  breath  of  an  seolian  harp  or  the  sigh 
ing  of  the  wind  through  far-off  pines.  There  was  no 
attempt  at  harmonious  arrangement  and  concordance; 
it  was  rather  a  vague,  erratic  and  intangible  dissonance, 
a  weird  jumble  of  soft  discords  that  alternately  pleased 
and  pained.  Gradually  it  increased  in  volume,  as  the 
wind  rises  to  the  approach  of  a  storm,  culminating 
finally  in  a  thunderous  crash  of  double  bass.  Then 
out  of  the  contrastive  silence  of  the  succeeding  lull  came 
unmistakably  the  mournful  howl  of  a  wolf,  wonder 
fully  rendered  by  a  few  soft  tremulous  touches  of  those 
strong  yet  sensitive  fingers. 

Another  rolling  crash,  a  diminishing  rumble,  and 
then  the  rich,  deep  voice  of  the  singer: 

"  Child  of  the  Wind  and  Sun,  I  glide 

Like  a  tongue  of  flame  o'er  the  mountain's  side. 
Wherever  falleth  my  blighting  tread 

Lie  the  whitening  bones  of  the  silent  Dead. 
For  a  trail  of  wrath 
Is  my  red-wet  path 
From  the  Sea's  low  rim  to  the  glaciers  high, 

Ai  y-u-u —  yu  —  yu-u-u-u! 
I  live  the  better  that  others  die. 
Ai  yu-u-u-u-u-u ! 


THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF  215 

"Oh!  sweet  is  the  scent  in  the  evening  gale, 

Of  the  dun  deer  wending  adown  the  trail 
Where  I  lie,  grim  ambushed,  with  bated  breath, 
A  gray  lance  couched  in  the  hand  of  Death! 
At  that  maddening  tang 
White-bared   each   fang, 
Dripping  anon  with  ambrosia  red: 

A  i  y-u-u  —  y u  —  yu-u-u-u ! 
Haste,  sweetheart,  to  the  feast  outspread! 
Ai  yu-u-u-u-u-u! 

"  But  sweeter  even  than  Life's  rich  wine, 

As,  hot  from  the  kill  —  ah-h  !  draught  divine !  — 
It  trickles  adown  my  ravished  throat, 

Is  my  gaunt  mate's  deep-toned,  chesty  note, 
As  o'er  hill  and  plain 
She  calls  amain 
Till  the  welkin   quivers  with   ecstasy: 

A  i  y-u-u  —  yu  —  yu-u-u-u ! 
'  Oh  come,  Beloved,  to  Love  and  me ! ' 
Ai  yu-u-u-u-u-u! 

"Manlings  spawned  in  the  cities'  slime, 

Weaklings,   withered  before  your  prime, 
What  ken  ye  of  the  joys  there  be 
Of  Life  and  of  Love  and  of  Liberty! 
Better  hill  and  dell 
As   free  Ishmael 
Than  the  shackles  of  pomp  and  pageantry: 

A  i  yu-u-u  —  yu  —  yu-u-u-u ! 

Come  out,  oh!   faint  hearts,  and  howl  with  me! 
Ai  yu-u-u-u-u-u!" 

In  the  storm  of  applause  that  rewarded  his  unique 
performance  he  rose  and  went  over  to  the  fireplace. 

"  If  you  are  still  disposed  to  the  purchase  of  the 
Vaughan  holdings  I  will  accept  your  offer,"  he  said  to 


216  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

Brevoort.  "  But  I  must  be  free  to  come  and  go  at 
will.  I  am  one  of  the  wolves,  you  know !  " 

Brevoort  nodded  a  brisk  acquiescence.  "  That  is  per 
fectly  satisfactory  to  me.  We  will  arrange  the  details 
to-morrow." 

McVey  was  genuinely  pleased  and  said  so;  Carter 
rather  grudgingly  extended  his  congratulations;  he 
would  rather  Douglass  were  the  manager  of  his  own 
estate.  His  grievance  was  still  fresh  and  rankling. 

Constance  Brevoort,  toying  with  the  ivory  chessmen, 
smiled  commiseratingly  at  the  soft  irradiation  of 
Grace's  face. 


CHAPTER  XVII 
THE  FROWNING  GODDESS  SMILES 

IT  was  arranged  that  the  transfer  of  the  VN  in 
terests  should  be  made  at  the  last  day  of  the  year. 
The  weather  was  still  open  and  the  days  very  delight 
ful,  and  Brevoort  evincing  a  lively  interest  in  Doug 
lass's  mining  venture,  his  wife  proposed  a  junket  over 
to  the  claims  on  the  head  of  the  Roaring  Fork,  some 
thing  less  than  forty  miles  away  as  the  crow  flies.  As 
the  trip  would  have  to  be  made  over  rather  difficult 
trails  it  was  decided  to  go  on  horseback,  the  camp  para 
phernalia  being  loaded  on  pack  animals  in  charge  of 
McVey,  who  somewhat  eagerly  volunteered  his  serv 
ices. 

The  trail  led  through  a  very  rugged  country  alive 
with  big  game  and  Brevoort  was  in  the  seventh  heaven 
of  a  hunter's  delight.  For  three  days  the  cavalcade 
slowly  wended  its  way  through  scenery  unequaled  any 
where  on  earth,  and  every  minute  was  fraught  with  en- 
jdyment.  On  the  afternoon  of  the  third  day,  when 
they  finally  reached  the  rough  claim-cabin  nestling  in 
the  giant  spruces  on  the  edge  of  a  little  sun-kissed  park, 
their  delight  was  unbounded. 

Artistic  in  nature,  Douglass  had  selected  a  most 
charming  spot  for  his  habitation.  The  little  park, 

217 


218          THE  SONG  OE  THE  WOLE 

sloping  to  the  westward,  was  knee-deep  with  grass, 
studded  with  the  belated  blooms  of  the  high  altitudes. 
Down  one  side  purled  a  little  brook,  fed  from  a  beauti 
ful  waterfall  in  easy  view  from  the  cabin  door.  To 
the  south  lay  the  snow-capped  purple  reaches  of  the 
Taylor  Range  over  which  they  had  just  come,  and  to 
the  east,  behind  the  cabin,  towered  the  majestic  gran 
deur  of  the  continent-dividing  Rockies,  the  "  Backbone 
of  the  World  "  in  the  poetical  phraseology  of  the  Ute 
Indians.  From  the  cabin  door  one  looked  over  an 
immense  vista  of  mountain,  plain,  valley  and  river  too 
exquisite  for  description  by  words. 

Having  come  leisurely  and  comfortably,  all  were  in 
the  proper  frame  of  mind  and  body  for  its  enjoyment, 
and  the  scrupulously  clean  cabin  came  in  for  its  share 
of  deserved  encomiums.  It  was  immediately  given  over 
for  the  personal  use  of  the  ladies,  who  were  delighted 
with  the  cozy  bunks  and  foot-deep  mattresses  of  aro 
matic  spruce  needles.  The  men,  as  much  from  pref 
erence  as  from  necessity,  spread  their  blankets  under 
the  open  sky. 

The  sportsman's  instinct  was  strong  in  Brevoort,  so 
he  and  Douglass  went  out  with  their  rifles,  returning 
in  less  than  an  hour  with  a  splendid  buck  deer  and  a 
dozen  grouse.  The  little  stream  had  also  yielded  up  to 
Carter,  who  was  an  expert  fly-fisherman,  some  two-score 
delicious  trout,  and  the  resulting  meal  was  one  fit  for 
the  gods.  All  cowboys  are  from  necessity  good  cooks, 
and  the  fluffy,  golden  brown  biscuits  and  fragrant  cof 
fee  of  Red's  making  were  unexceptionable. 

Despite  the  chill  of  the  evening  they  sat  around  a 


THE  FROWNING  GODDESS  SMILES     219 

roaring  campfire  until  long  after  the  moon  rose,  regaled 
by  the  quaint  narratives  of  McVey,  who  was  a  born 
raconteur.  What  added  to  their  subtle  humor  im 
mensely  was  the  fact  that  the  embodied  jokes  were 
almost  always  turned  at  his  own  expense.  But  the  last 
of  his  relations  brought  tears  into  the  eyes  of  one 
woman  at  least,  and  made  Douglass  kick  embarrass- 
edly  at  the  glowing  log  heap  until  the  sparks  arose  in  an 
inverted  cascade  of  fire. 

"  Theah  is  some  people  in  thu  wohld  that  seem  just 
bawn  foh  trubble!  They  are  built  a-puppos,  like  a 
woodpecker,  an'  mizzery  nacherally  poahs  upon  'em 
when  everybody  else  is  so  allfired  happy  that  it  hurts. 

"  I  mind  a  fambly  o'  that  kind  which  come  oveh 
yeah  from  thu  Picketwire  (Purgatoire  River)  three 
yeah  ago.  They  was  foah  on  'em,  two  ole  ones  an'  a 
couple  o'  kids,  boy  'n  gyurl,  'bout  sixteen  yeahs  ole, 
each." 

"  How  old,  each?"  asked  Douglass,  artlessly.  The 
others  smiled. 

"  'Bout  sixteen  yeah  ole,  each,  I  said,  an'  I  didn't 
stuttah,  neither!  They  was  twinneds.  Thu  boy  was 
tow-haided  an'  ornary;  thu  gyurl  were  a  roan,  even 
redder'n  me!  I  think  she  were  thu  freckledst  critter 
I  eveh  see,  an'  ugly!  Say,  honest,  she  was  afeared 
to  look  inter  a  lookin'  glass  an'  every  time  she  see  her 
face  axcidental  she  hollered ! 

"  Thet  outfit  were  shore  onlucky !  Fust  theah  hosses 
got  into  a  loco  patch,  an'  one  dawk  night  walked  oveh 
a  clift  thinkin'  it  were  thu  aidge  o'  a  sun  crack.  Then 
theah  cow  gits  lumpy  jaw  an'  haster  be  shot.  Thu  he- 


284  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

had  also  apparently  become  a  fixture.  All  relations 
between  the  two  women  had  been  severed  irrevocably, 
each  keeping  to  her  own  respective  bailiwick.  Con 
stance  had,  with  a  reluctant  regard  for  the  proprieties, 
established  herself  at  the  Blounts,  in  Tin  Cup,  and  after 
Grace's  contemptuous  treatment  of  Douglass,  he  spent 
the  major  portion  of  his  time  in  the  village.  Brevoort, 
engrossed  in  his  mining  schemes,  gravitated  between 
Tin  Cup  and  the  Roaring  Fork,  unseeingly. 

Over  at  the  C  Bar  the  situation  was  fast  growing 
intolerable  to  Grace  Carter.  Although  she  would 
rather  have  died  than  admit  it  even  to  herself,  her  love 
for  Douglass  only  increased  with  every  heart-wrench 
ing  report  of  his  recklessly  open  relations  with  the 
object  of  her  deepest  hatred,  which  were  constantly 
sifting  down  to  her  through  the  neighbors'  gossip.  As 
their  engagement  had  not  been  made  public,  she  was 
spared  the  irritating  commiseration  which  would  other 
wise  have  been  her  uneviable  lot.  All  knowledge  of  it 
was  fortunately  restricted  to  Abbie,  McVey,  Brevoort 
and  his  wife;  for  obvious  reasons  it  gained  no  further 
publicity.  Therefore  Douglass's  affair  was  regarded 
enviously  by  the  other  range  men,  and  it  must  be  con 
fessed,  rather  indulgently  by  the  range  women,  who 
found  not  a  great  deal  of  fault  with  his  conquest  of 
this  supercilious  "  big-bug  "  who  had  weaned  the  hearts 
of  their  men  away  from  proper  altars  of  devotion. 
Old  Abbie,  alone,  was  bitterly  vituperative  of  both  the 
man  and  his  condoning  admirers. 

"  Why  is  it,"  she  indignantly  snorted  to  Mrs.  Blount, 
on  the  occasion  of  one  of  that  lady's  garrulous  visits, 


A  WIDENING  CHASM  285 

"  that  all  wimmen,  even  r'ally  good  ones,  have  a  kinda 
sneakin'  likin'  foah  a  rake?  Thu  worse  thu  mizzable 
he-critters  be,  thu  moah  yuh  giggle  at  theah  nastiness! 
It's  a  wondeh  to  me  thet  men  eveh  get  married  at  all 
any  moah.  I  disremembeh  eveh  hearin'  any  she-male 
talkin'  about  thu  goodness  of  any  r'ally  decent  man, 
married  er  single;  but  jest  let  some  tur'ble  mean- 
minded  cuss  get  to  cuttin'  capehs  with  some  fool  wo 
man  er  tother,  an'  every  ole  brindle  on  thu  range  chaws 
on  thu  cud  of  it  like  a  dogie  on  May  blue-joint;  an' 
as  fer  thu  heifers,  every  blessed  one  on  'em  purtends 
to  be  buffaloed  if  he  crosses  theah  trail  an'  skitteh 
away,  lookin'  back  disap'inted  if  he  don't  folleh  an' 
try  to  raound  'em  up.  An'  bimeby,  when  he  gets  good 
an'  plenty  tiahed  o'  hell-ahootin'  araound,  he  jes'  ups 
an'  nach'rally  takes  hes  pick  o'  thu  cream  o'  thu  bunch, 
leavin'  thu  skim  milk  fer  better  men  whose  shoes  he 
ain't  fitten  to  lick ! 

"  I  don't  know  why,"  she  went  on  regretfully,  calmly 
ignoring  the  indignant  protest  of  her  scandalized 
hearer,  "  an'  I  reckon  Gawd,  Hisself,  don't  know 
eitheh,  but  we  locoed  wimmen  allus  love  bad  men  a  heap 
better'n  we  do  good  ones.  I've  been  seein'  it  all  my 
life  ontil  I'm  got  plumb  ashamed  o'  my  sect." 

But  to  Grace,  that  night,  she  said  inconsistently,  her 
gray  crest  bristling  with  impatience: 

"  Honey,  anything  in  this  wohld  that's  worth  havin' 
is  worth  fightin'  fob!  Yuh  are  no  Cahteh  if  yuh  stand 
foh  anybody's  runnin'  off  yuah  stock.  Neveh  yuh 
mind  haow  wild  an'  ornary  he  'peahs  to  be  just  now, 
that  fool  boy  is  a  thorrerbred  at  heart,  and  the  best 


222  THE  SONG  OE  THE  WOLF. 

"  Thu  fellah  who  jumped  thu  Las'  Chance  lode  was 
a  kind  o'  mine  broken,  one  o'  thu  damn  sharks  as  is  allus 
raidy  to  take  a  low  down  advantage  of  thu  mis-fort- 
unit  an1  helpless."  Brevoort  winced  slightly  and  his 
wife  smiled  behind  her  hand.  "  He  had  anotheh  fel- 
leh  workin'  fer  him,  a  real  white  man!  When  this 
yeah  las'  felleh  I'm  tellin'  yuh  about  finds  out  what  the 
brokeh  cuss's  game  is,  he  done  raises  —  well,  he  nacher- 
ally  buhns  th'  air !  He  acts  real  foolish  about  what  he 
calls  justice  to  the  ignerent  an'  weak,  an'  when  hes 
bawss  perposes  to  let  him  shaih  in  thu  profits  an'  holp 
do  thu  ole  woman  outen  her  rights,  he  jes'  up  an'  bends 
hes  gun  oveh  thu  dawg's  haid  —  he's  been  on  thu  puny 
list  eveh  since!  Then  he,  thu  white  felleh,  goes  out, 
pulls  up  thu  jumpah's  stakes  an'  re-locates  thu  mine  in 
thu  ole  woman's  name." 

11  That's  a  man  after  my  own  heart !  "  said  Grace, 
enthusiastically.  Red  seemed  a  little  put  out  over  her 
assertion  but  he  bravely  swallowed  his  dose  and  contin 
ued. 

"  He's  got  a  few  hunnerd  saved  up  and  he  makes  it 
go  far  enough  in  development  work  to  git  her  a  pat 
ent  on  it.  Bein'  a  United  States  Deputy  he  surveys 
thu  claim  hisself  an'  saves  thet  much.  In  sho't  he 
makes  her  claim  good  so's  no  one  kin  steal  it  from  her, 
an'  thet  ole  woman  owns  a  hat  store,  a  ho-tel,  a  bank, 
an'  foweh  saloons  in  Gunnison  now.  She  jes'  wallers 
in  wealth  I  " 

Again  he  turned  to  his  blankets.  Out  in  the  white 
moonlight  Douglass  stood  looking  over  the  silvered 
landscape,  a  retrospective  bitterness  curling  his  lip.  - 


THE  FROWNING  GODDESS  SMILES     223 

"  And  the  surveyor,  the  man  who  saved  her  mine 
and  in  reality  gave  her  this  great  wealth?  "  asked  Grace, 
with  a  fierce  wild  pride  burning  in  her  heart. 

"  Well,"  said  Red,  gravely,  "  I  told  yuh  she  was  a 
critter  bawn  to  misfohtuhn.  She  went  loco  oveh  thu 
thing,  got  in  too  much  of  a  hurry,  an'  sold  out  the 
claim,  unbeknownst  ter  him  who  were  managin'  it  fer 
her,  fer  a  measly  hunnerd  thousand,  jes'  two  hours 
befoh  he  closed  a  deal  with  a  big  Denveh  outfit  foh  a 
quateh  million.  An'  she  got  so  het  up  oveh  her  hawd 
luck  thet  she  lost  her  memory  an'  couldn't  remember 
thet  she  was  owin'  him  anything  when  they  come  ter 
settle  up.  Thet  were  shore  thu  mos'  unfawchinit  thing 
'at  even  happened  to  her.  I  reckon  thet  she'll  go  to 
hell  on  account  of  it!  " 

"  But  why  did  he  not  bring  suit  for  a  just  and  proper 
accounting?"  asked  Brevoort,  impatiently.  "  He  had 
a  good  case.  The  man  must  be  a  rank  fool!  What 
has  become  of  him?" 

Red  spat  speculatively  into  the  fire.  "  I  reckon  he 
kinda  hated  ter  fuss  with  a  woman.  He  is  a  cow- 
punchaw  now,  an'  all  cowpunchaws  is  loco !  Thu  las' 
time  I  see  him  he  were  glommerin'  all  by  hes  lonesome 
in  a  moonlight  jes'  like  this'n,  an'  I  have  an'  ijea  thet 
he  were  wishtful  o'  kickin'  somebody's  pants." 

The  moon  was  high  in  the  heavens  when  Douglass 
came  back  to  the  fire.  It  had  burned  down  to  a  heap 
of  ruby  coals  and  the  others  had  long  since  entered  the 
land  of  Nod.  He  lighted  a  last  cigarette,  crouching 
over  the  scant  warmth  as  he  smoked  it. 

Brevoort,  not  yet  fully  inured  to  the  chill  of  these 


a88  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

another  less  fit,  denied  woman's  highest  mission,  de 
barred  from  Nature's  most  noble  function.  And  he  had 
but  to  say  the  word! 

For  that  afternoon,  in  an  agony  of  passion,  she  had 
whispered  a  temptation  in  his  ear,  clinging  to  him  with 
all  the  seductiveness  in  her  nature : 

"  Let  us  go  away,  dear,  anywhere,  anywhere,  so  that 
we  are  together!  There  will  be  a  separation  without 
any  publicity,  for  he  is  very  proud ;  and  he  really  never 
cared !  Make  me  the  wife  and  mother  that  Nature  in 
tended  me  to  be;  give  me  the  fulfillment  that  is  every 
woman's  due !  " 

It  came  to  him  with  a  shock,  for  he  had  been  living 
only  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  present.  Brought  face  to 
face  with  the  eternal  future,  he  realized  a  great  unpre- 
paredness,  abnormal  as  it  was  disquieting.  He  had 
answered  her  evasively,  with  a  politic  tenderness  that 
satisfied  her  temporarily;  but  he  knew  that  her  insistence 
was  only  deferred,  and  his  answer  was  not  ready.  And 
to-night  he  was  cursing  the  inevitable  brutality  that  he 
knew  he  would  ultimately  be  compelled  to  exercise. 

For  even  as  his  soul  yearned  at  the  tender  appeal  of 
that  picture  most  exquisite  to  man,  the  mothering  of 
a  child,  the  beauteous  face  before  him  was  replaced  by 
another,  reproachful  and  haughty  yet  fair  with  a  purity 
and  beauty  indescribable,  the  patrician  mouth  trembling 
and  the  sweet  eyes  brimming  with  appeal.  Sharply 
he  shut  his  teeth  and  sat  erect. 

Only  one  woman  in  the  world  should  be  mother  to 
his  children  —  and  that  woman  was  not  the  beauty 
crooning  softly  to  that  sleeping  babe!  He  had  lost 


A  WIDENING  CHASM  289 

her  for  a  little  while  but  he  would  find  her,  and  the 
way  back  into  her  favor!  And  having  found  her,  at 
whatever  bitter  cost,  he  would  never  let  her  go  again  1 
He  resolved  that  on  the  morrow  he  would  ride  over 
to  the  C  Bar  and  grovel  in  abasement  at  her  feet  if  need 
be. 

The  woman  sitting  opposite  him  shivered  telepathic- 
ally  and  a  tear  fell  on  the  face  of  the  child. 

"  He  is  weighing  me  against  her/'  she  thought,  fear 
fully,  "and  I  am  afraid  —  afraid!  But  I  will  not 
give  him  up!  Oh,  my  God!  I  can  not!" 

And  down  at  the  C  Bar  Grace  was  crying  to  her 
heart  : 

"  Will  he  come?     Will  he  come?  " 

But  it  was  Red  McVey  who  came  awooing  in  the 
soft  dusk  of  the  succeeding  evening,  his  handsome  face 
bright  with  a  great  love,  his  six  feet  of  stalwart  manli 
ness  begroomed  with  appropriate  care.  He  was  far 
from  possessing  his  ordinary  confidence,  but  he  came 
bravely  to  the  point  and  the  girPs  eyes  held  as  much 
pride  as  they  did  sympathy  for  him. 

"  Your  love  is  an  honor  to  me,"  she  said,  gently. 
"  I  am  proud  to  have  inspired  such  a  feeling  in  so 
grand  a  man,  and  I  shall  thank  God  on  my  knees  for  it 
to-night!  But  it  is  impossible,  my  dear  friend;  you 
will  be  generous  and  spare  me  explanations — " 

"  Don't  cry!  "  he  said,  gently,  but  his  face  was  very 
white  and  drawn.  "  I  understand.  Yuh  are  shore 
they  ain't  any  hope.  I'd  wait  foh  yeahs?" 

"  No,  dear  friend,  there  is  none.  I  do  not  think  I 
shall  ever  marry.  And  I  am  going  away  to-morrow." 


226  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

tory  light.  He  was  about  forty  yards  away.  For 
one  nerve-paralyzing  second  he  was  incapable  of  motion 
or  speech.  Then  the  pipe  clattered  on  the  slide-rocks 
and  he  was  leaping  like  a  cougar  over  the  treacherous 
footing,  a  great  cry  bursting  hoarsely  from  his  white 
lips: 

"  Run!  For  God's  sake,  run!  Away  from  the  tun 
nel!" 

Dazed  by  the  awful  fear  in  his  voice,  and  misinter 
preting  the  only  two  distinct  words  of  his  otherwise 
inarticulate  command:  "  Run "  and  "Tunnel,"  she 
bolted  obediently  into  the  yawning  mouth  of  the  exca 
vation.  For  a  few  seconds,  with  eyes  blinded  by  the 
sudden  transition  from  sun-glare  to  comparative  dark 
ness,  she  did  not  perceive  the  spluttering  flare  of  the 
fuse.  Then  all  at  once  came  comprehension  and  in  the 
shock  of  it  she  was  as  a  marble  statue.  Paralyzed  with 
horror  at  the  awful  death  hissing  there  a  scant  five  feet 
away,  she  seemed  rooted  to  the  ground;  for  the  life  of 
her  she  could  not  move  hand  or  foot,  standing  numbly 
there  waiting  for  the  end.  Each  second  seemed  an 
eternity  before  his  coming.  His  coming  —  to  what? 
To  share  the  horrible  death  that  menaced  her?  She 
found  her  voice  in  one  agonized  scream  of  warning, 
but  even  as  it  left  her  lips  he  came  dashing  into  the 
tunnel,  shouting  incoherent  blasphemies  and  holding 
out  both  arms. 

A  pile  of  litter  on  the  floor  of  the  tunnel  entrapped 
his  foot.  A  treacherous  stone  turned  beneath  his  flying 
tread,  and  wildly  striving  to  regain  his  balance,  he 
pitched  forward  to  her  feet,  striking  his  head  on  the 


THE  FROWNING  GODDESS  SMILES     227 

rocks.  He  lay  very  still,  a  thin  stream  of  blood  trick 
ling  down  his  forehead. 

As  a  tigress  protects  her  young,  so  did  she  cast  her 
body  between  him  and  the  fiery  serpent  hissing  on  the 
rock,  her  one  thought  being  for  his  preservation.  As 
she  crouched  above  him  there  came  vaguely  into  her 
mind  the  remembrance  of  a  story  told  her  in  the  long 
ago  by  her  father,  the  story  of  a  man  who  had  saved 
his  comrade  by  the  plucking  out  of  the  burning  fuse  from 
a  blast  which  was  on  the  point  of  killing  the  man  caught 
beneath  some  falling  timbers.  The  details  came  pain 
fully  slow  to  her  dazed  mind  and  over  there  the  fuse 
was  hissing  ominously. 

Suddenly  it  was  all  clear  to  her  and  unhesitatingly 
she  sprang  to  the  shelf  and  clutched  the  smoking  terror 
with  both  hands.  One  frantic  tug  and  the  deadly 
dynamite  was  dangling  before  her;  with  the  swiftness 
of  a  swallow  she  reached  the  mouth  of  the  tunnel  and, 
summoning  all  her  strength  for  one  mighty  effort,  cast 
it  far  down  the  mountain  side.  Then  she  turned  un 
steadily  and  slowly  groped  her  way,  like  one  who  is 
blind,  to  the  silent  figure  on  the  tunnel  floor. 

Everything  was  swimming  about  her  in  a  confused 
whirl;  with  a  great  effort  she  raised  his  head  to  her 
shoulder.  A  broad  red  stain  spread  over  her  white 
bodice  but  her  eyes  were  unseeing,  her  lips  passing 
searchingly  over  his  face.  As  they  found  his  mouth 
and  rested  there,  a  sharp  explosion,  followed  by  a  tre 
mendous  rumble,  jarred  the  air. 

As  though  awakened  from  sleep  by  that  detonation, 
Douglass  opened  his  eyes.  Her  face  was  still  upon  his 


292  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

their  favorite  rendezvous  in  the  trout-fishing  season, 
where  they  stopped  to  fry  the  delicious  fish  and  boil 
the  coffee  indispensable  to  an  al  fresco  luncheon. 
Hither,  too,  they  had  come  on  other  innumerable  oc 
casions  when  absolute  privacy  was  the  desire  of  both, 
and  it  was  to  this  place  of  tender  associations  and  more 
or  less  compelling  memories  that  she  diplomatically  led 
the  way.  Here,  in  the  great  outdoor  temple  of  this 
pantheist's  loving,  with  no  other  goddess  to  divert  him 
from  her  own  homage,  was  the  place  of  all  places  to 
regain  her  fast  waning  influence  over  him.  If  she 
could  only  hold  him  for  a  little  time  longer  success  was 
assured. 

Cleverly  disregarding  his  taciturnity  she  kept  up  a 
merry  chatter  as  they  rode  along,  finally  drawing  him 
skillfully  into  a  discussion  of  the  geological  features  of 
the  interesting  region  which  they  were  slowly  travers 
ing;  like  every  mining  expert  he  was  a  bit  profes 
sionally  pedantic  on  this  subject,  and  to  this  woman 
of  abnormally  clear  perceptions  it  was  a  positive  pleas 
ure  to  him  to  impart  the  really  great  information  with 
which  his  mind  was  stored.  Once  she  got  him  warmed 
up  to  his  subject  he  waxed  enthusiastic  in  his  disserta 
tion  on  dykes,  fissures,  blanket  veins  and  the  like,  even 
riding  out  of  their  course  to  point  out  confirming  forma 
tions  and  collect  specimens  of  their  characteristic  com 
ponents.  By  the  time  they  reached  the  embowered  lit 
tle  glade  in  the  canon  his  sullenness  was  completely  dis 
sipated,  and  he  kissed  her  very  passionately  as  he  lifted 
her  from  her  horse.  There  was  much  of  the  old  fire 


A  WIDENING  CHASM  293 

in  him  as  she  clung  distractingly  about  his  neck,  and  her 
eyes  gleamed  with  triumph. 

So  absorbed  had  they  become  in  each  other  that 
neither  noticed  the  slinking  figure  which  stole  out  of 
the  glade  at  the  sound  of  their  approach,  or  the  char 
coal  of  a  hastily-extinguished  fire  swirling  in  the  eddies 
of  the  little  pool.  And  mercifully  they  did  not  know, 
as  they  stood  there  in  close-held  rapture,  drinking  with 
clinging  lips  the  Lethe  of  all  things  save  love,  that 
twenty  feet  away,  from  the  vantage  of  a  dense  clematis 
tangle  veiling  a  clump  of  dwarf  box-elder,  a  pair  of 
evil  eyes  burned  above  a  snarling  mouth,  as  a  grimy 
hand  drew  cautiously  back  the  firing  bolt  of  a  Mauser. 


230          THE  SONG  OE  THE  W_OLE 

which  she  had  bound  about  his  brow.  Unconsciously 
he  was  bruising  her  soft  flesh,  but  she  gloried  in  the  pain 
of  it. 

Red  McVey,  coming  over  the  crest  of  the  ridge  to 
investigate  the  explosion  and  the  succeeding  rumble  of 
the  avalanche  which  he  had  heard  while  hunting  on  the 
other  slope,  paused  abruptly  at  sight  of  that  tender 
tableau.  Very  cautiously,  as  one  coming  suddenly  in 
the  hunting  trail  upon  a  dangerous  beast  who  is  as  yet 
unaware  of  the  hunter's  proximity,  he  took  the  rifle 
from  his  shoulder  and  cocked  it,  crouching  as  he  did  so 
to  avoid  detection  and  to  insure  a  better  aim.  But  even 
as  his  knee  touched  the  ground  a  cold  perspiration  broke 
out  all  over  his  body;  the  red  left  his  vision,  something 
clicked  in  his  throat,  and  licking  his  dry  lips  nervously, 
he  lowered  the  hammer  of  his  weapon  and  backed  over 
the  ridge  out  of  sight. 

Hand  in  hand  the  twain  picked  their  way  carefully 
down  to  the  ledge.  By  a  curious  freak  of  chance  the 
explosive  had  landed  directly  above  the  outcrop,  and 
the  ground  about  was  strewn  with  fragments  torn  off 
by  the  concussion.  One-of"the  bits  which  Grace  eagerly 
picked  up  was  spangled  with  dull  yellow  points. 

The  man  with  his  hand  on  the  ledge  looked  out 
dreamily  into  the  blue  ether;  the  woman  cuddled  in  the 
hollow  of  his  arm  looked  only  at  him. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 
IN  THE  HOUSE  OF  POTIPHAR 

MRS.  ROBERT  CARTER  was  far  too  astute  a  politician 
to  openly  offer  any  opposition  to  her  daughter's  devotion 
for  Douglass,  though  fully  determined  to  unravel  what 
she  deemed  a  preposterous  and  altogether  undesirable 
entanglement. 

Having  herself  fought  the  hard  fight  against  the 
ogres  of  Poverty  and  Adversity,  she  had  no  foolish 
illusions  in  the  premises,  and  had  long  ago  resolved 
that  her  daughter  should  be  spared  the  grim  heart 
aches  that  even  love  cannot  wholly  bar  from  the 
proverbial  cottage.  Her  chief  ambition  was  to  see 
Grace  established  in  a  position  commanding  at  the  very 
outset  all  the  amenities  to  which  the  girl  had  been  ac 
customed  from  childhood,  both  of  her  children  having 
come  after  Carter  pere  had  achieved  a  substantial  com 
petence.  There  were  many  among  the  girl's  suitors 
who  offered  this  and  more,  and  she  felt  a  bitter  im 
patience  with  the  extravagance  of  youthful  passion 
which  now  so  perversely  menaced  all  her  plans. 

While  cordially  conceding  the  beauty  of  love  in  the 
abstract,  the  concreteness  of  wealth  and  social  position 
appealed  far  more  potently  to  the  world-worn  old 
woman,  who  temporarily  forgot  her  own  girlish  ex- 

231 


296  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

explanation,  and  the  marshal  sent  the  spurs  home  with 
a  great  foreboding  at  heart. 

"  He  had  to  fire  that  shot !  "  was  the  quick  conjecture. 
"  But  why?  He  is  either  in  a  tight  place  or  else  is  up 
to  some  fearful  deviltry.  That  was  certainly  a  wom 
an's  cry !  "  He  was  using  both  spur  and  cuerto  now, 
and  his  gallant  horse  was  responding  grandly. 

But  before  he  reached  the  little  glade,  the  echoes 
wakened  to  a  rumbling  roar  at  the  duller  concussion 
of  a  revolver  shot.  Then  followed  that  most  unnerv 
ing  thing,  the  mourning  of  a  woman  for  her  dead. 
With  a  magnificent  leap  the  horse  cleared  the  brawling 
torrent  and  in  the  edge  of  the  glade  Ballard  checked 
him  with  a  savage  oath.  Flinging  himself  from  the 
saddle,  he  ran  eagerly  forward,  pulling  his  revolver  as 
he  went. 

In  the  middle  of  the  glade,  beside  a  little  spring 
which  bubbled  up  amidst  the  grass,  sat  a  stylishly- 
gowned  woman  holding  to  her  bosom  the  head  of  his 
best  friend.  Across  the  white  forehead  trickled  down 
a  thin  crimson  stream  which  sadly  stained  and  dis 
colored  the  fawn-colored  riding  habit  and  left  its  grew- 
some  horror  on  the  lips  passionately  pressed  to  those 
of  the  man  lying  so  still  and  quiet  in  her  rocking  arms. 

And  ten  feet  away,  with  his  sightless  eyes  staring 
up  at  the  blue  sky,  his  shirt  still  smouldering  from  a 
powder  burn  above  his  heart,  lay  Matlock,  still  clutch 
ing  the  Mauser  in  his  stiffening  hand. 

Douglass,  on  dismounting,  had  picketed  the  horses 
and  thrown  himself  at  full  length  on  the  grass  with  his 
head  in  Constance's  lap.  She  had  temporarily  re- 


THE  RENUNCIATION  297 

gained  dominion  over  him  and  was  deliriously  happy 
in  consequence,  lavishing  upon  him  all  the  tenderness 
of  her  really  unselfish  affection.  With  tact  she  induced 
him  to  talk  of  his  earlier  life  and  its  vicissitudes,  and 
in  the  relation  he  was  so  frank  and  confiding  that  he 
was  invested  with  a  new  glory  in  her  sight.  Of  his 
amours  he  was  considerately  reticent,  his  innate  chivalry 
prompting  him  to  repress  anything  which  would  give 
her  pain,  and  she  was  wise  enough  to  refrain  from  any 
embarrassing  questions.  Their  communion  was  inti 
mate,  and  she  had  not  been  so  happy  in  many  months. 

Then  by  some  unfortunate  vagary  she  chanced  to 
refer  to  his  first  difficulty  with  Matlock,  asking  him 
for  the  real  facts  in  the  case,  and  the  man  crouched 
in  the  clematis  gnashed  his  teeth  at  Douglass's  con 
temptuous  reflections  upon  his  cowardice. 

"  Oh,  I  took  no  particular  risk,"  Douglass  said  care 
lessly;  "the  man  was  not  only  a  cowardly  cur,  but  a 
blundering  fool  as  well,  as  was  plainly  shown  in  his 
foolish  sale  of  that  apex  mine.  Why,  he  might  just  as 
well  have  got  the  million  out  of  it  that  I  did,  if  he  had 
been  honest  and  only  ordinarily  intelligent.  I  knew 
the  vein  was  there  all  the  time,  and  I  really  think  he 
had  a  suspicion  of  it.  But  his  great  mistake  was  his 
insane  hatred  of  me,  and  he  bungled  his  revenge  badly. 
He  really  thought  he  was  cleverly  swindling  me,  when 
the  fact  was  that  he  was  playing  directly  into  my 
hand." 

He  laughed  scornfully  and  drew  down  the  fair  head 
to  his. 

"  Let  us   forget  about  the   fool.     I  had  sworn  to 


234          THE  SONG  OE  THE  .WOLE 

Brevoort,  clad  in  an  exceedingly  well-fitting  traveling 
costume  of  neutral  gray,  smiled  her  delight  as  he  went 
forward  with  uplifted  hands  to  assist  her  descent  from 
the  seat  of  honor  on  the  box  beside  the  driver.  Of 
the  two  other  passengers  inside  the  stage  he  took  small 
note;  Brevoort  could  look  after  himself  and  be  hand- 
shaken  later.  Just  now  the  woman  engrossed  his  whole 
attention. 

Stiffened  doubtlessly  by  her  necessarily  cramped  po 
sition  on  the  box  throughout  a  half-day's  jolting  over 
rough  mountain  roads,  she  slipped  awkwardly  from 
the  wheel  and  landed  plump  in  his  arms,  her  lips  brush 
ing  his  in  her  descent  as  he  protectingly  caught  her 
close  to  save  her  from  falling.  His  face  was  crimson, 
possibly  from  over-exertion,  as  he  slowly  released  her. 
But  even  though  the  vice-like  grip  of  his  arms  had  been 
a  moment  or  two  overlong,  Mrs.  Brevoort  made  no  pro 
test;  she  only  smiled  at  his  discomposure  and  said  some 
what  ambiguously : 

"  Don't  look  so  distressed,  Mr.  Douglass.  I  alone 
am  to  blame  for  that  slip;  and  there  have  been  no  con 
sequences." 

He  took  her  extended  hand  and  shook  it  heartily. 
Into  his  eyes  there  crept  a  flicker  of  amusement  tinged 
with  audacity. 

"  I  am  not  so  sure  of  that,"  he  said  with  pretended 
ruefulness,  feeling  in  the  breast  pocket  of  his  shirt. 
"  My  cigars  are  demolished.  Were  you  really  so  glad 
to  see  me  as  all  that?  "  She  looked  at  him  coquettishly 
through  half-closed  lids. 

"  Can  you  doubt,  remembering  how  I  threw  myself 


IN  THE  HOUSE  OF  POTIPHAR       235 

into  your  arms  in  the  recklessness  of  my  transports  ?" 
She  laughed  unaffectedly,  but  underneath  the  dimples 
of  her  peachy  cheeks  spread  the  veriest  wraith  of  a  soft 
rose  tint.  For  into  his  eyes  had  suddenly  flamed  some 
thing,  a  subtle  spark  that  burned  down  through  her 
body's  jeweled  sheath  like  a  white-hot  coal.  A  little 
frightened  at  the  hot  wave  surging  through  her  veins 
she  was  betrayed  into  another  indiscretion. 

"  And  you,"  she  murmured  seductively,  "  are  you 
glad  to  see  me?  " 

"  I'll  tell  you  later,  when  I  am  calm  enough  to 
phrase  my  joy  in  more  conventional  words  than  my  pres 
ent  distraction  permits."  They  both  laughed  a  little 
constrainedly  and  he  turned  to  greet  the  man  who  had 
just  descended  from  the  stage.  Imagine  his  surprise 
to  see,  instead  of  the  shriveled  form  of  the  financier, 
the  portly  bulk  of  a  grinning  white-headed  old  negro 
who  was  assisting  an  equally  robust  damsel  of  like  ebon 
complexion,  but  considerably  less  years,  to  alight  from 
the  dusty  vehicle. 

Constance  laughed  at  his  frank  bewilderment. 

"  Two  family  retainers  from  my  girlhood's  home, 
Uncle  'Rastus,  my  butler,  and  Lucindy,  his  daughter, 
my  cook.  At  the  last  moment  Mr.  Brevoort  was  called 
away  to  Europe  on  business,"  she  explained  somewhat 
hurriedly.  "  He  hopes  to  be  able  to  join  us  in  time  for 
the  fall  hunting." 

It  was  characteristic  of  the  man  that  he  did  not  mum 
ble  the  conventional  regrets  over  the  defection  of  her 
husband;  on  the  contrary,  he  did  not  hesitate  to  express 
his  pleasure. 


236  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

"  That's  nice !  "  was  his  rather  startling  comment  to 
which,  however,  she  took  no  exception,  mischievously 
misinterpreting  the  reference  of  his  words. 

"  Yes,  I  know  you  enjoy  those  hunting  trips,"  she 
said  demurely,  "  and  Mr.  Brevoort  is  even  more  enthu 
siastic.  He  says  you  are  positively  the  most  inde 
fatigable  man  in  the  chase  that  he  ever  met.  Have 
you  chased  much  since  we  left?  " 

He  glanced  at  her  dubiously;  she  was  the  embodi 
ment  of  nai've  innocence  as  she  stood  there  struggling 
with  her  pearl-colored  suedes,  the  delicious  color  coming 
and  going  in  her  fresh,  fair  cheeks.  He  was  not  at  all 
sure  of  her,  and  he  hesitated  a  little  as  he  caught  up  her 
valise  and  relieved  her  of  her  discarded  wraps. 

"  I  wonder  if  there  was  any  double  meaning  in 
that?"  he  thought,  watching  her  out  of  the  corner  of 
his  eye;  but  it  was  this  man's  creed,  as  has  been  pre 
viously  noted,  to  overlook  no  bets.  Aloud  he  said : 

"  The  open  season  ended  the  day  you  left,  and  I 
haven't  been  to  town  since." 

She  bit  her  lip  in  discomfiture ;  there  was  a  premature- 
ness  about  this  frontier  lance  that  made  him  exceedingly 
difficult  to  parry,  skilled  as  she  was  in  the  subtle  art  of 
fence.  The  insolent  assurance  of  that  thrust  through 
her  guard  angered  and  alarmed  her. 

"  You  will  pay  for  that,"  she  resolved  mentally, 
wrathful  at  his  coarse  arrogance.  But  her  frown  was 
only  that  of  gentle  wonderment  as  she  turned  inquir 
ingly.  "  The  town !  I  do  not  understand.  Is  there 
any  game  to  be  hunted  there?  " 


IN  THE  HOUSE  OF  POTIPHAR       237, 

"  Only  faro,  and  poker,  and  roulette,  with  other 
divertisements  of  divers  kinds  and  sorts,"  he  said  hu 
morously.  "  But  one  does  not  have  to  hunt  much  for 
any  of  them  so  far  as  my  experience  goes.  Yet  IVe 
even  left  the  seductive  tiger  unbucked  in  his  lair  for 
over  six  long  weary  months.  I've  been  so  good  that 
even  the  very  thought  of  it  hurts." 

"  You  poor  thing,"  she  said  with  mock  compassion; 
"  how  your  talents  have  been  wasted.  What  a  pity 
that  the  virtue  born  of  necessity  is  not  entitled  to  com 
mendation." 

"  Is  there  any  virtue  entitled  to  that?"  he  asked 
shamelessly.  She  drew  a  little  apart  from  him,  really 
shocked  and  not  a  little  apprehensive. 

"  Certainly  not  that  of  Evolution,"  she  said  with 
some  acerbity.  "  Against  the  stone  ax  and  brutal 
strength  of  the  Cave  Man,  woman's  helpless  trust,  love 
and  dependency  are  just  as  inadequate  as  it  was  in  the 
beginning,  aeons  ago.  But  even  barbarians  can,  with 
profit,  learn  the  lesson  of  decent  forbearance." 

"  Stung!  "  His  comical  grimace  and  slangy  confes 
sion  of  her  sharper  point  completely  disarmed  her  and 
she  sheathed  her  rapier  with  a  smile.  But  for  the  life 
of  her  she  could  not  resist  the  temptation  to  bait  this 
good-natured  bear. 

"  After  all,  we  are  only  a  step  removed  from  the 
Primitive,"  she  said  plaintively,  "  and  in  this  wonderful 
environment  of  yours  one  comes  actually  within  touch. 
Here  we  are  at  swords-points  already,  and  only  a  few 
moments  ago  I  was  in  your  arms."  Her  heart  was 


238;          THE  SONG  OE  THE  WOLE 

quaking  at  her  great  audacity  as  he  made  a  sudden 
movement  that  brought  him  so  near  that  his  elbow 
grazed  her  shapely  waist. 

"  Backward,  oh!  backward,  turn,  Time,  In  thy 
flight!"  he  hummed  longingly.  Unconsciously  she 
swayed  towards  him  for  the  fraction  of  an  inch.  She 
was  even  closer  to  the  border-land  than  she  had  deemed. 

Red  McVey,  coming  for  the  mail,  greeted  them  as 
they  ascended  the  porch  steps  of  the  little  hostelry. 
She  very  graciously  laid  her  hand  in  his,  and  her  face 
beamed  with  positive  pleasure  as  he  awkwardly  con 
gratulated  her  upon  her  splendid  appearance. 

"  Well,  little  ole  N'Yawk  ain't  done  you  no  hurt  as 
I  kin  see.  Reckon  I'll  have  to  winter  theah  a  spell 
mahself  when  mah  caows  come  home,"  he  said  enthu 
siastically.  "  Yuah  lookin'  purtier  'n  a  red  heifer." 

Douglass  grinned  at  her  rosy  confusion.  "  You've 
got  a  good  eye  for  color,  Red.  But  you  ought  to 
cultivate  the  virtue  of  forbearance,  ought  he  not,  Mrs. 
Brevoort?"  But  she  scornfully  ignored  him  and  was 
rather  profuse  in  her  protestations  to  Red  of  her  hap 
piness  at  being  back  in  "  God's  country  "  again. 

At  the  dinner  table  that  night  Douglass  maliciously 
reverted  to  the  topic  of  forbearance.  Turning  to 
McVey  he  assumed  a  becoming  gravity  which  the 
twinkle  in  his  eyes  belied. 

"  Say,  old-timer,  Mrs.  Brevoort  is  skeptical  of  we 
poor  cowpunchers'  virtue ;  she  thinks  we  have  no  power 
of  forbearance.  Can't  you  help  me  to  convince  her  that 
we  often  keep  from  doing  wicked  things  just  for  the 
pure  love  of  being  good." 


IN  THE  HOUSE  OF  POTIPHAR       239 

Red,  catching  the  mischievous  note  in  his  question, 
rose  to  the  occasion  manfully. 

"  Why,  yuh  ain't  thinkin'  that  bad  of  us,  are  yuh?  " 
he  said  with  sorrowful  reproach  to  Constance.  "  In 
deed,  ma'am,  we  are  real  gentle  by  spells.  Why,  I 
mind  las'  yeah  when  I  was  ridin'  fences  foh  thu  C  Bar 
I  got  to  thinkin'  haow  foolish  it  were  o'  me  to  keep 
hankerin'  after  thu  delusions  o'  thu  Alcazah,  an'  to 
keep  wantin'  to  go  oveh  theah  simultaneous  an'  waste 
my  hawd  eahned  money  on  thu  see-ductions  o'  thu 
flowin'  bowl.  So  I  braces  up,  an'  says  to  thu  devil  o' 
temptation,  kinda  contemptuous-like, '  Hit  thu  back  trail, 
Satan!'  ' 

"  Every  time  I  feels  thu  iniquity  o'  thust  comin'  on 
me  I  jes'  swaps  the  price  o'  a  drink  from  my  sack  to  a 
leetle  ole  terbacca  bag  I  totes  especial  foh  thet  puppos, 
and  goes  an'  dips  my  beak  in  healthy  alkali  wateh  like  a 
sensibul,  fohbeahing  Christian  should.  It  were  two 
bits  every  time  an'  by  thu  time  Chris'mas  comes  raound 
thu  smoke  bag  were  plumb  full.  I  suttinly  fohboah  a 
heap  thet  summah." 

Genuinely  interested  at  the  simple  relation,  Constance 
asked  sympathetically:  "  And  what  did  you  do  with  the 
money  so  heroically  saved,  may  I  ask?  " 

"  Well,  I  had  thu  price  o'  nine  bottles  o'  booze  in 
thu  bag  when  I  counted  her  oveh  at  Tin  Cup  on  Chris- 
mus  eve.  Theah's  five  bottles  goes  to  a  gallon,  yuh 
know,  so  I  rattles  thu  bones  with  thu  perfessor  an'  o' 
cose  I  wins  thu  odd  bottle.  Then  I  blows  six  bits  fer 
a  two-gallon  jug  an' — " 


24Q  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

Constance  glared  at  him  severely.  Douglass  laid 
his  head  on  the  table  and  cried. 

The  greater  portion  of  the  next  day  was  spent  by 
Constance  in  shopping  and  resting  after  her  wearisome 
stage  ride.  Douglass  had  some  saddlery  matters  to 
attend  to  and  Grace's  letter  to  answer.  Red  had  volun 
teered  to  drive  'Rastus  and  Lucindy  over  to  the  VNi 
ranch  with  the  luggage  and  so  it  happened  that  Doug 
lass  and  Mrs.  Brevoort  rode  out  together  alone  in  the 
pleasant  evening  to  her  home-coming. 

They  jogged  along  very  leisurely,  talking  only  the 
veriest  commonplaces  after  they  had  exhausted  the  more 
interesting  topics  of  ranch  and  mine.  Curiously 
enough,  neither  referred  once  to  Grace  Carter,  her  name 
not  being  mentioned  throughout  the  whole  journey. 
Toward  the  end  of  their  ride  both  man  and  woman 
grew  strangely  silent.  The  white  May  moon  was  just 
peeping  over  the  horizon  as  he  dismounted  before  the 
door  of  the  ranch  house  to  assist  her  to  alight. 

As  she  released  her  foot  from  the  stirrup  and  held 
out  her  hands,  from  somewhere  far  out  on  the  prairie 
came  the  call  of  a  wolf.  Telepathically  both  turned] 
toward  the  moonlit  plain  awaiting  the  answering  cry; 
as  it  rang  out  in  not  unmusical  cadence  through  the 
stilly  night  she  shivered  slightly  and  her  hands  trembled 
in  his  warm  grasp.  He  leaned  toward  her,  his  eyes 
gleaming. 

"  Come,"  he  said,  masterfully.  Shifting  her  left 
hand  to  his  shoulder  he  threw  his  arm  about  her  waist 
and  lifted  her  from  the  saddle.  But  before  her  feet 
touched  the  ground  he  had  gathered  her  up  in  his  arms 


IN  THE  HOUSE  OF  POTIPHAR       241 

and  was  striding  towards  the  house.  Taken  by  surprise, 
she  clung  to  him  breathlessly,  one  arm  still  tightly 
clasped  about  his  neck  as  he  placed  her  feet  upon  the 
threshold.  Very  gently  she  disengaged  herself  from 
his  embrace  but  made  no  effort  to  enter  the  house.  He 
looked  hungrily  at  her  full  red  lips  for  a  second,  then 
stooped  and  laid  his  own  upon  the  hand  which  he  still 
retained. 

"  Welcome,  oh,  Queen,  to  your  lair!  "  he  said  softly. 
"  May  you  have  good  hunting." 

Then,  sombrero  in  hand,  he  bowed  again  and  turning 
abruptly  left  her  standing  there  silent  in  the  white  moon 
light.  Not  until  the  shadows  of  the  corral  had  swal 
lowed  him  up  did  she  so  much  as  move  a  muscle. 

Unto  him  a  half  hour  later  came  old  'Rastus  with  her 
invitation  to  dine.  When  he  finally  joined  her  she  was 
secretly  relieved  at  the  very  presentable  appearance  he 
made  in  the  modest  suit  of  gray  negligee  which,  he  apolo 
getically  stated  with  engaging  candor,  was  the  nearest 
approximation  he  could  make  to  full  dress.  All  other 
cowboys  of  her  acquaintance,  while  delightfully  pic 
turesque  in  their  range  costume,  had  looked  disappoint 
ingly  commonplace  and  uninteresting  when  clothed  in 
civilized  habiliments;  but  there  was  neither  gaucherie 
nor  self-consciousness  about  this  exceedingly  self-pos 
sessed  young  fellow,  whose  evident  familiarity  with  the 
niceties  of  etiquette  came  as  an  agreeable  surprise. 
Every  slave  to  Convention  is  more  or  less  a  snob,  and 
she  had  been  under  the  yoke  a  whole  lifetime.  Her 
relief  at  his  perfect  deportment  changed  to  an  irritating 
sense  of  chagrin  as  she  realized  her  own  obtuseness  in 


242          THE  SONG  OF,  THE  .WOLF 

not  recognizing  from  the  first  that  this  man  had  as 
suredly  been  bred,  if  not  born,  a  gentleman.  How  was 
she  to  know  if  he  were  not  even  mentally  amused  at 
her  inexcusable  lack  of  perspicacity? 

The  truth  of  the  matter  was  that  Douglass  thought 
nothing  at  all  about  it;  he  was  thinking  only  of  how  at 
tractive  this  woman  was  —  in  a  different  way  from 
Grace  Carter. 

Old  'Rastus  he  had  captivated  instanter  by  his  crit 
ical  commendation  of  the  really  superb  wine  which  she 
had,  whimsically,  it  must  be  confessed,  and  to  the  secret 
indignation  of  the  old  darkey,  ordered  served.  'Rastus 
had  mumbled  something  about  the  casting  of  pearls, 
but  he  melted  instantly  at  Douglass's  evident  apprecia 
tion. 

"  Chateau  Yquem,  is  it  not,  and  of  a  vintage  surely 
previous  to  '57!  "  he  averred  with  the  confidence  of  a 
connoisseur,  lovingly  rolling  the  delicious  liquor  under 
his  tongue.  "  You  are  an  exaggerated  Lady  Bountiful, 
my  dear  Mrs.  Brevoort  This  is  ambrosia  for  the  gods 
rather  than  a  tipple  for  an  obscure  cowpuncher !  " 

*  Yes,  this  Yquem  has  been  in  our  cellars  since  '59; 
so  Mr.  Brevoort  informs  me.  I  am  extremely  fortu 
nate  in  having  selected  it  since  it  meets  with  your  fa 
vor  !  "  Her  tone  was  sweetly  sincere  and  he  was  inor 
dinately  flattered.  She  on  her  part  was  not  a  little 
amazed  at  the  anomaly  of  a  mere  ranch  hand's  knowl 
edge  of  rare  old  vintages  and  looked  at  him  with  a  new 
interest.  He  was  surely  going  to  be  worth  exploita 
tion! 

When  the  cloth  had  been  removed  they  adjourned 


IN  THE  HOUSE  OF  POTIPHAR       243 

to  a  little  room  which  had  been  fitted  up  as  a  den  by 
Brevoort.  Here  the  coffee  was  served,  and  over  her 
cigarette  she  watched  him  deftly  preparing  the  cognac 
and  kirschenwasser  with  all  the  assurance  of  an  epicure., 
the  caraffe  having  been  set  beside  him  by  the  old  servi 
tor  as  a  matter  of  course;  there  was  no  doubt  now  in 
'Rastus's  mind  about  this  "  cow-gentleman  "  being  to 
the  manner  born. 

It  being  an  unusually  mild  night,  the  windows,  which 
faced  on  the  open  prairie  land  to  the  north,  were  partly 
open.  The  air  was  sweet  with  the  fragrance  of  the 
purpling  lucerne,  punctuated  by  the  aroma  of  her  Turk 
ish  tobacco.  In  the  mellow  light  of  the  rose-tinted 
acetylene  globe  suspended  overhead  everything  was  in 
vested  with  a  deliciously  soft  warmth.  Douglass,  puff 
ing  luxuriously  at  his  havana,  was  filled  with  a  great 
conviction  that  he  had  not  been  so  happy  for  years. 
This  was  what  he  would  have  when  his  mines  were  in 
bonanza  and  he  had  come  to  his  own !  But  try  as  he 
would,  he  could  not  permanently  establish  Grace's  pres 
ence  on  the  divan  over  yonder;  somehow  the  conditions 
did  not  lend  themselves  concordantly.  The  woman 
furtively  watching  him  smiled  intuitively;  he  was  a  very 
transparent  young  man,  after  all ! 

And  yet  how  perfectly  he  fitted  into  the  environment's 
scheme!  In  the  soft  rose  light  his  clean-cut  aquiline 
profile  was  as  perfect  as  a  well-chiseled  cameo  in; 
red  bronze.  Vigor,  strength  and  indomitable  power 
breathed  from  every  well-balanced  line  of  his  well-knit 
frame. 

"  Fit,  and  ready,  to  fight  for  his  strong  young  life !  " 


244  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

she  was  thinking  admiringly,  "  a  man  among  a  thou 
sand  in  these  degenerate  days.  A  *  running  mate  '  who 
would  go  far  with  the  wolf  of  his  choosing.  I  won 
der  what  he  ever  saw  in  that  insipid  goody-goody. 
She  will  tame  him  down  to  mediocrity,  never  realizing 
what  she  is  desecrating,  what  she  is  robbing  some  other 
better-fitted  woman  of.  She  ought  to  have  married 
Anselml" 

At  the  thought  of  her  husband  her  face  hardened. 
Very  contemptuous  did  she  wax  in  her  merciless  com 
parison  of  him  with  the  stalwart  young  fellow  sitting 
there  so  lordly  in  the  arrogance  of  lusty  manliness. 
Now  that  it  was  too  late  she  realized  that  she  had  sold 
herself  for  a  price !  Of  course  Brevoort  had  paid, 
generously,  magnificently,  and  without  demur;  but  how 
had  she  benefited  thereby?  To  the  end  only  of  being 
the  leader  of  her  social  set,  queen  regnant  of  a  sympo 
sium  of  sexless  degenerates  with  whom  she  had  not  one 
mental  or  physical  desire  in  common !  The  best  proof 
of  it  was  that  she  was  here,  far  from  their  wearying 
inanities  and  hollow  gilded  gauds  by  deliberate  choice. 
Her  meditations  terminated  abruptly  at  this  point;  was 
that  the  real  reason  of  her  coming?  She  turned  to 
him  with  a  curious  shyness,  thankful  for  that  rose- 
colored  globe. 

"You  are  fond  of  children,  Mr.  Douglass?"  It 
was  more  an  assertion  than  a  question.  His  face  lit  up 
rarely. 

"  I  love  them !  "  he  said,  simply.  "  They  are  the 
sweetest  flowers  in  God's  garden !  " 

"Even  as  I  do!  "     There  was  something  strangely 


IN  THE  HOUSE  OF  POTIPHAR       245, 

like  a  sob  in  her  low  voice,  but  she  had  not  meant  him 
to  hear.  "  I  congratulate  you  on  your  conquest  of  the 
little  Blount  girl;  her  adoration  of  you  is  actually] 
idyllic !" 

"  Oh,  Eulalie  and  I  have  been  sweethearts  for  ages," 
he  said,  laughingly.  "  It  was  a  case  of  love  at  first 
sight." 

"  Happy  Eulalie!"  she  said,  enviously.  "She  has 
been  favored  beyond  the  computation  of  the  gods. 
That  beatitude  falls  to  the  lot  of  but  few  of  her  sex." 

"  Are  you  voicing  a  personal  grievance?  "  His  eyes 
were  full  of  amused  incredulity.  She  smiled  a  little 
bitterly  but  evaded  his  question. 

"  What  do  you  hear  from  Grace?  "  she  asked,  incon 
sequentially.  He  was  sobered  instantly. 

"  She  is  well;  and  enjoying  herself,  I  gather  from  her 
last  letter.  They  are  on  the  wing  constantly,  you  know, 
and  It  was  unusually  short.  They  are  now  headed  for 
Venice,  with  a  certain  Lord  Ellerslie  in  train.  Do  you 
happen  to  know  him?"  There  was  a  mild  anxiety  in 
his  tone. 

"  Yare  Ellerslie?  Yes,  I  know  him  very  well.  One 
of  England's  '  best '  types;  a  fine  gentleman  of  mildewed 
lineage.  He  is  immensely  wealthy !  " 

"Oh!  I  say,  don't  rub  it  into  a  fellow!  "  he  pro 
tested,  laughingly,  but  his  eyes  held  a  glitter  that  caught 
Constance's  attention  disagreeably.  She  rather  pitied 
Lord  Ellerslie  at  that  moment. 

"  Oh !  he  is  perfectly  innocuous,"  she  hastened  to 
assure  him;  "  nearly, every  designing  mamma  has  given 
him  up  as  impossible.  His  price  is  above  the  rubies  of 


246  THE  SONG  OF  THE  .WOLF 

any  woman's  offering !  "  Her  lip  curled  scornfully. 
"  His  metier  is  platonics." 

"  And  you  don't  believe  in  their  possibility,"  he  con 
cluded,  dryly.  She  eyed  him  narrowly. 

"Do  you?" 

"  Not  in  their  putative  purity  at  any  event.  Of 
course,  I  am  not  a  competent  authority  and  my  circle  of 
acquaintances  is  limited  to  people  of  flesh  and  blood. 
Imagine  such  an  absurdity  as  platonics  between  — " 

"Between — ?"  she  prompted  audaciously,  her  se 
ductive  face  close  his. 

"  Between  you  and  me,  for  instance !  "  he  finished, 
calmly,  his  cool  demeanor  betraying  nothing  of  the 
seething  volcano  beneath  that  unruffled  surface.  She 
rose  somewhat  precipitately  and  went  over  and  stood 
by  the  window. 

Faint  and  eerie  from  the  muffling  mazes  of  some  far- 
off  coulie  came  again  the  wolf  cry.  She  turned  shudder- 
ingly  away. 

"  It  sounds  like  the  wail  of  a  lost  soul !  " 

"  Calling  to  another  affinitive  soul,  neither  of  them 
knowing  or  caring,  in  the  all-compensative  ecstasy  of 
their  own  making,  that  they  have  lost  anything  at  all! 
Do  you  imagine  that  fellow  is  mouthing  platonics  out 
there?" 

He  had  risen  unconsciously  and  laid  his  hot  hand  on 
her  bare  arm;  she  shrank  from  it  as  though  it  burned 
her  and  deliberately  placed  the  table  between  them. 
She  rang  the  silver  call  bell. 

"  I  can  imagine  nothing  more  to-night  but  that  it  is 
time  to  retire,"  she  said,  humorously.  Before  he  could 


IN  THE  HOUSE  OF.  POTIPHAR       247 

reply,  Lucindy  entered,  bearing  a  salver  on  which  was 
a  glass  of  milk  and  a  pitcher  of  water.  Constance  gave 
him  her  hand  in  gentle  dismissal. 

"  Go  to  bed,  Wolf,"  she  said,  mischievously,  "  and 
dream  of — of  platonics,  as  befits  your  rugged  constitu 
tion.  Personally,  I  am  not  equal  to  more  than  the  in 
spirations  of  milk-and-water  —  as  yet!  " 

As  he  opened  the  door  the  wolf  howled  in  the  dis 
tance.  He  turned  with  a  smile  of  sinister  significance 
as  an  answering  call  rang  out  in  the  night. 

The  fair  hand  holding  the  diluting  pitcher  wavered 
a  trifle.  A  few  drops  of  water  failed  of  their  destina 
tion  and  spattered  on  the  table. 


CHAPTER  XIX 
MUTUAL  ASSISTANCE 

IT  was  three  days  before  she  saw  him  again,  he  hav 
ing  left  at  daybreak  for  a  distant  part  of  the  range 
where  he  went  to  investigate  a  disturbing  report  of  mys 
teriously  disappearing  cattle  whose  loss  puzzled  the 
most  astute  of  his  men.  The  news  had  come  in  over 
night,  and  reasoning  that  she  would  be  a  late  riser  after 
her  fatiguing  trip,  he  merely  wrote  her  a  short  note  say 
ing  that  he  was  suddenly  called  away  on  urgent  busi 
ness  and  could  not  say  just  when  he  would  return.  He 
was,  however,  very  explicit  as  to  the  horses  that  he 
deemed  safe  for  her  use,  particularly  recommending  a 
bay  filly  which  he  had  broken  especially  for  her  per 
sonal  service.  He  did  not  deem  it  necessary  to  say 
that  the  filly  was  his  own  personal  property,  originally 
designed  as  a  gift  for  Grace. 

An  inexplicable  disappointment  wrinkled  her  smooth 
brows  as  she  read  the  carelessly  polite  words;  this  was 
such  a  note  as  her  husband  might  have  written  and  she 
tossed  it  aside  impatiently.  Somehow  or  other  it 
seemed  like  a  rebuff,  this  cold  formality  after  their  inti 
mate  conversation  of  the  preceding  night,  and  she  re 
sented  it  strongly.  Had  she,  after  all,  made  so  little 
impression  on  this  springald  despite  her  tacit  encourage- 

248 


MUTUAL  ASSISTANCE  249 

ment  of  him!  Could  it  be  possible  that  he  was  only 
maliciously  amusing  himself  at  her  expense,  playing 
even  a  more  skillful  game  than  she  was  capable  of  do 
ing  against  such  an  unusual  antagonist?  This  man 
was  vastly  different  from  those  of  her  previous  experi 
ence  and  she  was  far  from  her  habitual  calm  as  she 
musingly  weighed  the  possibilities. 

At  her  request  the  filly  was  saddled  and  she  rode  over 
the  ranch,  critically  inspecting  her  new  possessions.  It 
was  an  unusually  well-situated  property,  and  under 
Douglass's  strenuous  management  it  had  assumed  an 
entirely  new  aspect.  Everything  was  in  perfect  order 
and  her  eye  dwelt  in  pleased  approval  on  the  countless 
evidences  of  his  handiwork.  With  professional  care 
and  exactness  he  had  reduced  everything  to  a  science, 
and  although  not  as  extensive  as  the  C  Bar  holdings  it 
was  plain  to  the  most  casual  observer  that  Constance 
Brevoort's  ranch  was  a  close  second  in  pecuniary  value 
and  even  excelled  it  in  point  of  desirability  as  a  place 
of  habitation.  Its'  income,  in  proportion  to  the  re 
spective  investments,  was  at  least  twice  as  great  as  that 
of  the  Carter  property,  and  promised  to  become  even 
greater  under  a  proposed  change  of  policy  now  in  Doug 
lass's  contemplation. 

"  It  is  a  labor  of  love,"  she  said  appreciatively. 
"  He  could  not  have  worked  more  faithfully  or  assidu 
ously  had  the  property  been  his  own.  What  heights  an 
ambitious  soul  could  attain  to  if  working  in  loving  con 
junction  with  so  strong  an  executive  nature  as  his." 
For  a  while  she  sat  musing  introspectively,  a  rapt  smile 
on  her  beautiful  face;  then  of  a  sudden  she  was  filled 


250          THE  SONG  OE  THE  WOLF 

with  an  unreasonable  anger  at  Grace  Carter.  "  To 
think  of  his  being  wasted  upon  a  colorless  entity  like 
that  chit!  " 

On  her  return  to  the  house  she  sought  the  seclusion 
of  the  little  den  and  wrathfully  consumed  a  half  dozen 
cigarettes.  When  dinner  was  announced  she  ate  per 
functorily  and  at  its  conclusion  sought  the  den  again. 
It  was  far  into  the  night  when  she  finally  arose  and 
sought  her  bedchamber.  As  she  turned  down  the 
silken  coverlet  her  ear  caught  faintly  that  for  which  she 
had  been  waiting  since  the  moon  rose.  She  hesitated 
a  moment  and  then  went  swiftly  to  the  open  window. 
The  cry  had  come  from  the  east,  in  the  direction  of  the 
mountains  where  Douglass  was  at  work.  With  a  warm 
color  rioting  across  her  face  she  opened  her  mouth  and 
made  a  queer  little  gurgling  noise  in  her  throat. 

On  the  night  of  his  return,  tired,  dusty  and  with  a 
sullen  anger  burning  in  his  heart,  he  somewhat  curtly 
declined  her  invitation  to  dine,  pleading  fatigue  and  the 
necessity  of  a  conference  with  his  men.  His  tour  of 
investigation  had  resulted  in  the  discovery  that  very 
extensive  depredations  were  being  made  upon  the  VN 
herds  by  what  was  evidently  a  well-organized  and 
shrewdly  commanded  band  of  rustlers  far  more  auda 
ciously  aggressive  than  any  of  his  previous  experience. 
At  an  audience  which  he  requested  the  next  morning, 
he  urged  the  advantage  of  the  immediate  adoption  of 
the  change  in  policy  previously  referred  to. 

This  policy  was  to  dispose  of  the  rather  mediocre 
lot  of  cattle  at  present  in  the  VN  brand  for  cash,  and 
with  the  proceeds  purchase  a  smaller  bunch  of  high- 


MUTUAL  ASSISTANCE  251 

grade  stock,  which  could  be  close-herded  and  ranch-fed 
at  a  largely  decreased  expense  and  with  an  increased 
revenue,  the  VN  conditions  being  peculiarly  adapted 
to  such  a  policy.  She  unhesitatingly  authorized  him 
to  use  his  own  discretion  absolutely  in  anything  con 
nected  with  her  interests  and  he  immediately  ordered 
a  round-up  with  that  end  in  view.  He  had  already 
arranged  for  the  sale  of  the  cattle,  he  somewhat 
abashedly  confessed  to  her  secret  amusement,  and  at  a 
price  rather  above  current  quotations.  The  change 
could  be  made  without  either  delay  or  loss  and  he  was 
openly  sanguine  of  the  outcome  of  his  new  plans.  Dur 
ing  his  absence  he  had  partly  succeeded  in  rounding  up 
the  cattle  to  be  sold,  and  in  ten  days  more  he  had  de 
livered  into  her  hand  the  buyer's  check  covering  the 
transaction.  To  her  great  surprise  it  was  for  an 
amount  some  five  thousand  dollars  in  excess  of  the 
original  purchase  price  of  the  whole  ranch;  evidently 
her  manager  had  driven  a  very  good  bargain. 

He  did  not  think  it  necessary  to  tell  her  that  he  had 
caught  the  cowboys  of  a  big  syndicate  in  the  act  of 
running  a  bunch  of  VN  steers  out  of  the  country  under 
the  pretense  of  a  general  round-up,  or  that  he  had  gone 
directly  to  the  headquarters  of  the  outfit  with  a  rather 
peremptory  request  that  they  buy  the  rest  of  the  cattle 
together  with  the  brand,  a  suggestion  that  the  guilty 
parties  found  it  advisable  to  accept  in  view  of  the  direct 
evidence  with  which  he  confronted  them  of  not  only 
this,  but  several  other  shady  transactions  of  a  similar 
nature.  Nor  was  she  aware,  until  several  days  later, 
that  in  the  course  of  a  slight  argument  which  he  had 


252  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

indulged  in  with  one  of  the  syndicate's  men,  whom  he 
had  caught  red-handed  in  the  act  of  branding  a  VN 
calf  whose  mother  lay  in  a  nearby  gully  with  a  bullet 
hole  in  her  head,  he  had  resorted  to  a  little  "  six-gun 
suasion  "  with  the  result  that  the  other  fellow  was  in 
the  hospital  at  Leadville,  while  Douglass  nursed  an 
ugly  flesh  wound  in  his  shoulder.  The  syndicate,  com 
posed  largely  of  eastern  men  who  for  obvious  reasons 
could  not  afford  to  have  their  acts  unduly  ventilated, 
were  very  glad  to  close  with  his  rather  excessive  de 
mands,  backed  as  they  were  by  the  smoothest-working 
gun  and  handiest  shot  on  the  range. 

She  made  the  discovery  in  a  rather  unexpected  way. 
They  were  out  riding  together  one  pleasant  afternoon, 
and  seduced  by  the  magnificent  going  and  delightful 
weather  had  prolonged  their  pasear  into  the  twilight 
hours.  On  the  return  canter,  Douglass's  horse,  affright- 
ened  by  a  viciously  whirring  rattlesnake  on  which  it  nar 
rowly  escaped  treading,  began  to  "  pitch  "  violently 
and  for  a  few  minutes  Constance  was  treated  to  an 
exhibition  of  superb  horsemanship  which  made  her 
blood  tingle.  It  was  an  unusually  severe  and  long- 
sustained  struggle  between  horse  and  rider,  but  the  man 
conquered  as  a  matter  of  course  and  the  rest  of  the 
journey  was  without  incident. 

She  had  acquired  the  knack  of  dismounting  by  plac 
ing  one  hand  on  his  left  shoulder;  in  doing  so,  this 
evening,  her  bare  hand  encountered  something  wet  and 
sticky.  At  that  moment  the  door  opened  and  a  flood 
of  light  from  the  living-room  illuminated  them  sharply. 


MUTUAL  ASSISTANCE  253 

Looking  curiously  at  her  wet  hand  Constance  caught 
her  breath  with  a  gasp. 

"  It  is  blood !  "  she  cried  in  horror.  "  You  are 
hurt!" 

Despite  his  muttered  assurance  that  it  was  nothing 
to  be  alarmed  about  she  drew  him  into  the  living-room, 
where  she  became  almost  hysterical  at  the  black-red 
blotch  on  his  thin  tan-colored  silk  shirt.  Almost  before 
he  suspected  what  she  was  about  she  had  unknotted  the 
kerchief  from  around  his  throat  and  hastily  bared  his 
shoulder.  In  the  violent  plunging  of  the  horse  the 
clumsily-fixed  bandage  had  become  displaced,  the  wound 
had  reopened  and  was  bleeding  freely. 

Although  entirely  unaccustomed  to  the  sight  of  any 
kind  of  wounds,  she  knew  intuitively  from  the  tiny 
blue-rimmed  red  puncture  on  the  massive  shoulder  that 
this  was  a  gun-shot  injury.  She  ran  over  to  her  work 
basket  and  secured  a  pair  of  scissors  with  which  she 
unhesitatingly  cut  away  the  shirt  from  the  collar  down 
wards,  exposing  the  ragged  gash  of  exit  on  the  other 
side.  To  'Rastus,  watching  her  with  open  mouth  and 
protruding  eyes,  she  said  sharply: 

"  Water,  and  some  clean  linen  cloths,  quick!  " 

She  was  a  different  woman  now,  and  her  subsequent 
ministrations  were  as  deft  and  as  effectual  as  those  of 
a  trained  nurse.  Very  tenderly  she  bathed  the  shoulder, 
wondering  all  the  while  at  Its  contrastive  whiteness 
with  the  bronzed  face  and  throat,  marveling  at  the  silky 
rippling  of  the  muscles  beneath  as  he  obediently  flexed 
his  arm  at  her  command.  In  less  than  ten  minutes  she 
had  completed  her  surgery  and  in  five  more  he  was 


254  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

again  rehabilitated  in  garments  fetched  by  'Rastus  from 
his  room  in  the  bunkhouse.  She  would  not  hear  of 
his  attending  to  the  horses,  but  had  one  of  the  men  sum 
moned,  to  whom  their  care  was  delegated.  If  she  de 
tected  Douglass's  dejected  wink  at  the  smiling  young 
fellow,  she  made  no  sign,  saying  merely  that  she  would 
be  pleased  to  have  him  dine  with  her  as  she  wished 
to  discuss  some  business  matters  of  importance  with 
him. 

Not  until  they  had  adjourned  to  the  den  did  she 
evince  the  slightest  curiosity  as  to  the  time  and  cause  of 
his  mishap.  Then  when  he  had  his  cigar  nicely  under 
way  she  demanded  imperatively : 

"  And  now  be  good  enough  to  tell  me,  please,  who 
shot  you  —  why,  where  and  when !  I  want  the  whole 
truth  with  no  evasions." 

Thus  cornered,  he  told  her  the  story  in  its  most  im 
portant  details,  ending  with  a  regret  that  he  had  caused 
her  so  much  apprehension  and  unnecessary  trouble. 
Her  eyes  were  bright  with  wonder  and  admiration  when 
he  finished  but  she  nodded  approval. 

"Served  the  wretch  right!"  she  snapped.  "I  al 
most  wished  you  had  killed  him." 

"  Well,  ma'am,"  he  said  apologetically,  "  I  tried  all 
I  knew  how,  but  my  horse  bucked  outrageously  at  his 
shot  —  he  got  his  work  in  first,  you  know  —  and  he 
seemed  quiet  enough  when  I  shot.  If  you  say  so,  I'll 
go  and  finish  him."  She  smiled  at  the  grim  pleasantry, 
knowing  it  to  be  such. 

"  And  in  all  probability  get  your  other  arm  shot  off ! 
No,  thanks,  I  prefer  you  as  you  are." 


MUTUAL  ASSISTANCE  255 

He  brightened  at  this  amazingly,  but  a  mischievous 
twinkle  stole  into  his  eye.  "  I  am  glad  to  hear  that. 
Now  that  I  am  acquainted  with  your  preferences,  I'll  see 
that  I  keep  in  this  winged  condition.  And  yet,  do  you 
know7  that  your  predilection  for  one-armed  men  is  a  sur 
prise  to  me."  He  looked  quizzically  at  her  sudden  con 
fusion.  "  Most  ladies  are  partial  to  men  with  two  good 
arms;  but  just  so  that  you  keep  on  preferring  me  I  am 
content,  no  matter  how  anomalous  the  conditions.'* 

She  lit  another  papelito  and  smiled  mockingly  at  him. 
"  That  was  very  clumsy.  I  must  get  you  well  as  soon 
as  possible,  poor  wolf.  You  run  rather  indifferently 
on  one  leg.  What  can  such  a  benighted  Ishmael  as 
you  possibly  know  of  the  partialities  of  ladies?  " 

"  Not  much,"  he  confessed  humbly,  "  and  yet  a  few 
have  been  undeservedly  generous  to  me.  I  am  eager 
to  learn,  however,  if  the  opportunity  be  graciously 
accorded  me."  She  evaded  his  bold  glance  a  little 
nervously.  For  a  one-legged  wolf  he  was  coming  dis 
concertingly  fast.  The  water  was  getting  rather  deep 
for  drifting,  and  in  the  face  of  this  baffling  head-wind 
she  promptly  tried  another  tack. 

"  Tell  me,"  she  asked  curiously,  "  of  the  most  won 
derful  thing  in  your  certainly  unique  experience." 

"  You,"  he  said  promptly,  and  the  crimson  suffused 
her  face.  "  I  think  you  are  the  most  wonderful  thing 
that  could  ever  happen  to  any  man.  There  are  times 
when  I  can  hardly  believe  the  evidence  of  my  senses. 
Imagine  me,  a  common  menial,  sitting  here  in  the  lap 
of  luxury,  holding  familiar  converse  with  a  queen  like 
you  and  not  feeling  in  the  least  embarrassed,  drinking 


256  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

in  your  ineffable  loveliness  unchecked,  unrebuked,  un 
afraid,  as  the  desert  sands  thirstily  absorb  the  heavenly 
rain,  drunk  with  the  rich  wine  of  your  sympathy  and 
maddened  with  the  subtle  delirium  of  your  personal 
charms." 

His  voice,  low  and  tense  in  the  beginning,  was  now 
vibrant;  he  had  risen  and  was  leaning  across  the  low 
table,  his  muscles  quivering,  yet  the  woman  felt  not  the 
slightest  fear  of  him.  On  the  contrary,  she  was  thrill 
ing  to  the  core  with  a  mad  joy  that  she  wanted  to  shout 
from  the  housetops.  Her  face  was  very  pale,  but  her 
eyes  were  jet  black  and  sparkling  with  a  flame  that 
burned  down  to  the  steel  of  the  man,  inciting  him 
to  recklessness,  and  he  threw  reason  to  the  winds. 

"  Constance !  "  His  whisper  was  hoarse  with  sup 
pressed  emotion.  He  walked  swiftly  to  her  side  and 
held  out  his  arms  appealingly.  She  was  quivering  all 
over,  her  bosom  heaving  tumultuously.  He  bent  over 
her  slowly  until  his  hot  breath  scorched  her  cheek. 
"Constance!" 

Panting  like  a  wounded  animal  she  sprang  to  her 
feet;  at  the  touch  of  his  encircling  arms  she  gave  a 
tremulous  little  sigh  and  her  head  sank  on  his  shoulder. 
Very  tenderly,  but  firmly,  he  put  one  hand  beneath  her 
soft  chin  and  forced  her  face  upward  toward  his.  Al 
most  had  his  lips  touched  hers,  when,  with  a  gasping  cry, 
she  put  both  her  hands  against  his  chest  and  violently 
pushed  him  away. 

"No!  My  God,  no!"  The  words  were  a  broken 
sob.  "  We  are  both  mad !  It  cannot  be!  Think  of 
my  husband,  of  Grace !  " 


MUTUAL  ASSISTANCE  257 

"  It's  a  little  late  to  think  of  them  now.  And  what 
do  they,  or  the  rest  of  the  whole  world,  signify  to  us?  " 
Smiling  confidently  he  again  approached  her  with  out 
stretched  arms,  but  she  swiftly  evaded  him,  and  snatched 
up  a  pearl-handled  stiletto  which  she  had  been  utilizing 
as  a  paper  cutter.  At  his  grim  smile  of  contempt  she 
flung  it  down  on  the  table  and  laid  her  hand  on  the  call 
bell.  He  gave  a  shrug  and  dropped  his  arms. 

"  That  is  unnecessary,"  he  said  quietly.  "  Your 
pitiful  fear  is  an  efficient  safeguard  against  any  further 
importunity.  Courage  is  an  indispensable  quantity  in 
the  composition  of  a  wolf.  I  have  been  ludicrously 
mistaken.  May  I  hope  that  you  will  forgive  and 
forget?" 

"  There  is  nothing  to  forgive,  but  neither  of  us  must 
forget,  again.  Not  ever  again!  "  She  was  struggling 
for  composure,  her  hard-clenched  hand  pressed  against 
her  heart.  "  I  never  dreamed  — " 

He  laughed  harshly.  "  You  never  dreamed  that  in 
the  veins  of  men  there  could  be  red,  as  well  as  white 
corpuscles?  Were  there  nothing  but  emasculates 
among  your  circle  of  acquaintance  in  the  vaunted  '  Four 
Hundred'?" 

Wincing  at  his  coarseness  as  though  it  had  been  a 
blow,  she  went  over  and  leaned  against  the  casement 
of  the  window,  looking  silently  out  at  the  stars.  After 
a  time  he  took  up  his  sombrero  and  moved  toward  the 
door,  pausing  at  the  threshold  to  courteously  bid  her 
good  night.  At  the  sound  of  his  voice  she  turned 
quickly. 

uWait!"     She  motioned  to  an  easy  chair.     "Sit 


258  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

down,  please.  There  is  something  which  in  justice  to 
us  both,  must  be  said  before  you  go."  He  took  the 
seat  indicated  and  she  turned  again  to  the  window. 
For  quite  a  time  she  stared  mutely  into  the  night,  the 
man  waiting  in  patient  silence.  When  she  finally 
spoke  it  was  in  a  tone  so  low  that  he  had  to  bend  for 
ward  to  catch  the  words. 

"  You  were  right  when  you  said  that  I  was  afraid; 
but  it  is  not  convention  that  has  made  me  a  coward. 
It  is  of  myself  that  I  am  afraid,  the  new,  strange  self 
that  has  evolved  since  I  came  here,  a  year  ago,  filled 
with  the  pitiful  conceit  that  I  knew  life  —  and  men  — 
thoroughly. 

"  Remember  that  I  lived  in  a  different  world,  in  an 
artificial  and  enervating  atmosphere  where  nothing  is 
real  but  Rank,  nothing  sweet  but  Station,  nothing  prec 
ious  but  Money.  As  a  girl  I  was  sold  to  the  highest 
bidder;  he  gave  me  all  that  wealth  and  genealogy  could 
give,  and  up  to  six  months  ago  I  kept  faith.  Not  one 
of  the  countless  men  with  whom  I  amused  myself  ever 
aroused  rn  me  even  one  moment's  serious  thought;  for 
twelve  weary  years  I  played  at  the  inane  game  of  pla- 
tonics,  with  no  further  effect  than  to  come  finally  to 
regard  the  vaunted  l  love  '  of  the  poets  as  a  libel  on 
human  intelligence.  It  had  been  proffered  me  in  all 
tongues,  in  all  climes,  at  all  times,  by  all  sorts  and  con 
ditions  of  men ;  at  first  to  my  listless  amusement  and  at 
last  to  my  contemptuous  disgust.  It  was  part  of  my 
strained  and  unnatural  environment;  I  wore  these 
1  loves '  on  my  sleeve  as  I  wore  hothouse  orchids  on 


MUTUAL  ASSISTANCE  259 

my  corsage,  finding  their  emanations  as  nauseous  and 
unwholesome. 

"  I  was  fed  on  sweets  of  flattery  and  wine  of  adula 
tion,  when  all  the  time  I  was  thirsting  for  pure  affection, 
hungry  for  the  strong  meat  of  a  real  love.  Yesterday  I 
heard  one  of  your  men  singing  a  plaintive  ditty  whose 
refrain  absolutely  portrays  my  miserable  existence: 

"  '  A  bird  in  a  gilded  cage ' !  " 

She  threw  out  her  hand  passionately,  her  eyes  filling 
with  tears.  It  was  with  great  effort  that  she  recovered 
her  self-control  sufficiently  to  continue. 

"  I  never  realized  what  possibilities  Life  held  until 
six  months  ago.  Then  for  the  first  time  I  learned  the 
difference  in  men  —  and  the  bitterness  that  comes  with 
knowledge  acquired  too  late.  The  confession  may  be 
unwomanly,  but  I  glory  in  it.  No,  keep  your  seat." 
He  had  eagerly  arisen  and  was  holding  out  his  arms. 
"  I  have  been  disloyal  to  my  husband  in  the  learning 
and  this  is  part  of  my  atonement." 

She  went  over  and  stood  beside  him,  breathing  softly. 
In  the  subdued  light  her  pallor  only  accentuated  her 
ravishing  beauty.  Douglass  thought  he  had  never  be 
held  so  heavenly  a  thing.  Very  gently  he  leaned  for 
ward  and  touched  her  hand  but  she  as  gently  shook  her 
head  in  negation. 

"  I  was  foolishly,  criminally  weak  to  come  back  here. 
But  I  had  to  see  you  again.  Oh !  I  am  mad !  mad ! 
mad !  I  know  only  too  well  the  nature  of  the  passion 
I  have  inspired  in  you,  and  the  humiliation  of  it  is  the 


260  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

bitterest  part  of  my  deserved  punishment.  Yet  even 
your  avid,  brutal  lust  is  a  thousand  times  dearer  to  me 
than  the  refined  insipidity  of  any  other  man's  purest 
love.  Stop!  I  say,  or  — !  "  She  placed  her  hand 
resolutely  on  the  bell,  her  determination  indubitable. 

"  It  is  the  hour  of  my  shame  and  you  must  know  all. 
I  had  rather  be  your  running  mate  —  Oh !  you  grand, 
lovable,  vicious,  merciless  beast  —  than  be  queen  reg 
nant  in  heaven.  But  that  can  never  be.  I  am  the  wife 
of  Anselm  Brevoort  and  you  are  the  betrothed  husband 
of  another  woman.  But  she  will  breed  you  no  wolves, 
my  lost  Ishmael;  your  getlings  will  be  bleating  lambs. 
Ah,  God !  the  shame  of  it !  " 

She  struck  the  bell  savagely  as  he  sprang  to  his  feet 
with  a  choking  cry. 

"  And,  now  that  you  know,  I  confidently  invoke  your 
honor,  your  clean  manliness,  for  my  protection.  You 
will  help  me  against  myself,  will  you  not,  dear?  " 

"  And  who  will  help  me  ?  "  he  muttered  hoarsely. 
The  perspiration  was  standing  in  white  beads  on  his 
forehead.  Swift  as  a  flash  she  crossed  over  to  him  and 
laid  her  hand  trustfully  on  his  arm. 

"  We  will  help  each  other,  beloved.     Good  night." 

But  hours  after  he  had  succumbed  to  the  seductions 
of  his  coarse  blankets  she  lay  on  her  dainty  bed  with 
clenched  hands  and  sleepless  eyes,  trying  to  pierce  the 
gloomy  veil  of  futurity  and  tearfully  striving  to  recon 
cile  a  great  misery  with  a  greater  joy. 

"  I  love  him !  I  love  him !  "  she  moaned  passion 
ately,  "  and  if  it  were  not  for  that  milk-and-water  baby 
he  would  love  me  with  all  the  savage  strength  and  in- 


MUTUAL  ASSISTANCE  261 

tensity  of  his  fierce  nature.  Oh !  my  Wolf,  my  strong, 
wild  Wolf!  What  can  that  vapid  ninny  offer  y*ou  ini 
comparison  to  what  I  would  give?  " 

She  sat  up  erect,  her  eyes  blazing  in  the  darkness  like 
those  of  a  hunted  wild  beast. 

"  She  shall  not  —  I  swear  it !  Home,  station, 
wealth,  honor,  body  and  soul  —  I  will  sacrifice  all ! 
He  is  mine!  mine!  mine!  "  After  awhile,  in  sheer  ex 
haustion  of  passion,  she  fell  into  a  troubled  sleep. 

The  next  day  he  obtained  leave  of  absence  for  a 
fortnight's  inspection  of  his  mines.  En  route  he  mailed 
several  letters  entrusted  by  Mrs.  Brevoort,  one  of  which 
was  addressed  to  a  woman  in  New  York.  She  was 
one  of  those  inveterate  gossips  of  high  station  who  act 
as  purveyors  of  "  exclusive  information  "  to  the  society 
editors  of  the  great  fashionable  journals. 

Some  days  later  he  stopped  at  Tin  Cup  for  the  ranch 
mail;  it  included  a  rather  short  and  unsatisfactory  note 
from  Grace,  written  hurriedly  in  transit,  announcing 
her  party's  embarkation  on  Lord  Ellerslie's  yacht  for 
a  cruise  on  the  Mediterranean.  The  girl  was  really 
homesick  in  truth,  but  relying  too  implicitly  on  Love's 
divination  had  omitted  to  make  that  fact  clear,  ending 
her  missive  with  the  ambiguous  sentence : "  I  wish  we  had 
never  left  home.  I  am  so  unhappy."  It  was  the  first 
communication  he  had  received  from  her  for  over  six 
weeks.  He  did  not  know  that  her  customary  budget, 
a  sort  of  daily  diary  mailed  once  a  month,  had  gone 
down  with  the  fated  Peruvia  in  mid-ocean,  and  he  was 
uneasy  and  resentful. 

Mrs.  Brevoort  was  out  riding  when  he  reached  the 


262  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

ranch,  so  he  merely  instructed  'Rastus  to  inform  her  of 
his  return,  and  dined  at  the  common  mess  house.  In 
the  interim  of  waiting  he  glanced  casually  over  the 
contents  of  the  New  York  papers  which  he  had  received 
in  the  mail. 

Unto  Constance  Brevoort,  awaiting  him  with  a  great 
trepidation  in  the  little  den,  came  a  white-lipped,  stern- 
faced  man  with  a  paper  crushed  in  his  hand. 

"  Read  that!"  he  said  curtly,  pointing  to  a  para 
graph  at  the  head  of  the  "  Society  Column."  She 
caught  her  breath  sharply  but  with  no  other  visible 
evidence  of  emotion  held  the  paper  up  to  the  light.  He 
watched  her  grimly,  a  mirthless  smile  on  his  lips.  With 
a  well-simulated  gasp  of  horror  she  let  the  sheet  fall 
on  the  floor  and  turned  to  him  breathlessly. 

"It  cannot  be  true!  It  is  a  lie!  Oh!  my  poor 
friend!  "  Her  voice  was  a  curious  commingling  of 
fear  and  exultation.  The  gossip  had  done  her  work 
with  artistic  efficiency. 

He  picked  up  the  paper  and  calmly  read  the  para 
graph  aloud.  It  was  short  but  succinct: 

"We  have  it  on  indisputable  authority  that  the  engagement  of 
one  of  Gotham's  most  lovely  daughters,  the  beautiful  Miss  Grace 
Carter,  to  Lord  Yare  Ellerslie,  of  Ellesmere,  Surrey,  one  of  Brit 
ain's  most  eligible  scions,  will  be  formally  announced  on  the  return 
of  his  lordship's  yacht  from  the  Mediterranean,  where  he  is  at 
present  cruising  in  company  with  his  fiancee,  her  mother,  and  a 
party  of  mutual  friends.  It  is  said  to  be  one  of  those  delightful 
love-at-first-sight  affairs,  and  society  is  all  agog  over  the  romantic 
outcome  of  what  was  merely  intended  to  be  a  short  pleasure  trip. 
Lord  Ellerslie  is  said  to  be  immensely  wealthy  in  his  own  right 
and  will,  besides,  succeed  to  the  title  and  vast  estates  of  his  father, 
the  present  earl.  Miss  Carter  is  a  joint  heiress  of  the  millions  of 


MUTUAL  ASSISTANCE  263 

the  famous  '  cattle  king,'  Robert  Carter.  We  understand  that  the 
honeymoon  will  include  a  cruise  around  the  world  in  his  lord 
ship's  magnificent  yacht,  which  has  been  rechristened  the  '  Gracie ' 
in  honor  of  his  prospective  bride." 

He  laid  the  paper  down  on  the  table  and  stood  look 
ing  silently  at  it.  It  seemed  to  the  woman  watching 
him  nervously  that  he  aged  a  dozen  years  since  she  last 
saw  him.  She  almost  relented  at  the  sight  of  his 
fiercely-controlled  misery,  but  she  shut  her  teeth  with 
determination.  One  cannot  make  an  omelet  without 
the  breaking  of  eggs.  The  game  was  a  desperate  one, 
but  she  had  everything  at  stake.  She  would  play  it  out 
and  win. 

She  was  about  to  speak  when  he  looked  up  with  a 
harsh  laugh. 

"  Your  nobleman  wasn't  so  very  '  innocuous '  after 
all,  it  seems.  Her  mother  certainly  lost  no  time. 
What  is  the  accepted  form  of  a  letter  of  congratulation 
on  such  occasions?" 

"  Oh !  it  cannot  be  true !  "  she  faltered,  evading  his 
eyes  unaccountably.  "  There  has  been  some  terrible 
mistake !  " 

"  And  I  have  made  it."  He  handed  her  Grace's 
little  note.  "  This  is  the  amount  of  her  correspondence 
in  the  last  two  months.  It  seems  to  clinch  the  certainty 
of  the  glad  tidings.  And  to  think  that  I  was  fool 
enough  to  imagine  that  there  was  one  pure,  true  heart 
among  your  fair,  false  sex."  He  turned  upon  her 
scornfully.  "  I  wonder  how  much  of  what  you  said 
the  other  night  was  a  lie.  It  is  a  rare  accomplishment, 
this  clever  ability  to  turn  an  impending  tragedy  into  a 


264  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

harmless  comedy.  Tell  me,  how  long  did  you  laugh 
after  I  had  gone?  " 

She  paled,  for  his  mood  was  a  dangerous  one  and 
a  single  false  move  might  imperil  everything.  But  she 
was  a  past-master  of  the  gentle  craft  of  love-making 
and  all  her  finesse  had  been  to  this  very  end.  She  had 
calculated  on  the  ease  with  which  a  heart  may  be  caught 
in  the  rebound,  and  her  opportunity  was  at  hand.  And 
she  knew  now,  with  a  certainty  that  terrified  and  yet 
emboldened  her,  that  she  loved  this  man  better  than  life 
and  that  existence  without  him  would  be  one  eternal 
curse.  She  was  a  brave  woman  and  her  hesitation  was 
only  momentary. 

"  Suffering  has  made  you  unjust,  my  friend,"  she  said 
quietly.  "  I  take  bitter  shame  to  myself  for  having 
bared  my  heart  so  nakedly  to  you  that  dreadful  night, 
since  it  has  been  so  pitiably,  unavailing.  I  did  not 
laugh  that  night  —  I  cried.  I  only  wish  I  could  lie  to 
you,  dear.  It  might  be  the  means  of  conserving  my 
honor  and  self-respect  in  those  hours  of  danger  —  the 
every  hour  I  spend  in  your  company.  Must  I  abase 
myself  more  ?  Must  I  tell  you  that  I  have  prayed  that 
this  pain  should  come  to  you  so  that  I  might  comfort  you 
with  a  love  so  tender,  so  all-giving  that  you  would  blush 
in  self-commiseration  of  your  callow  infatuation  for 
that  foolish  fledgling  who  deserted  the  eyrie  of  an  eagle 
for  the  flat  commons  of  an  English  goose  pasture? 
And  now  that  the  measure  of  my  shame  is  complete, 
go  —  and  leave  me  to  the  agony  of  it.  Oh !  my  Wolf ! 
my  Wolf!  I  could  have  given  so  much,  and  so  will 
ingly!  But  now  I  hate  you!  I  hate  you!  Go,  I 


MUTUAL  ASSISTANCE  265 

say !  Go !  "  She  '  pointed  imperiously  to  the  door 
with  streaming  eyes.  "  Will  you  go  or  must  I  sum 
mon  the  servants?  " 

But  with  eyes  flaming  and  extended  arms  he  advanced 
instead.  With  a  little  cry  of  alarm  she  evaded  him  and 
took  refuge  on  the  divan,  where  she  cowered  with  cov 
ered  eyes.  With  a  strange  forced  smile  he  sank  on  his 
knee  beside  her.  Very  gently  he  removed  her  hands 
from  her  face  and  compelled  her  to  look  at  him.  She 
was  quivering  all  over  and  her  eyes  were  gleaming  like 
stars. 

"  What  is  the  need  of  other  servants  when  you  have 
a  loving  slave  here  at  your  feet?  Connie!  Connie  I" 

Afar  in  the  distance  rang  a  familiar  cry;  at  the  eerie 
sound  their  pulses  leaped  in  unison.  The  man  put  his 
whole  soul  into  one  fierce  appeal : 

"  Connie !  my  Queen !  " 

From  without  stole  the  answering  call  of  the  she- 
wolf. 

With  a  soft  little  cry  that  was  half  a  laugh,  half  a 
sob,  she  drew  his  face  down  upon  her  bosom. 


CHAPTER  XX 
A  PASSAGE  AT  ARMS 

AT  Brindisi,  a  month  later,  Grace  found  Douglass's 
letter  awaiting  her.  She  kissed  it  furtively  and  thrust 
it  in  her  bosom,  reserving  its  reading  for  the  privacy 
of  her  room.  Not  until  she  had  crept  into  bed  did  she 
open  the  prosaic  government-stamped  envelope  which 
he  methodically  used.  She  always  read  his  letters  so, 
punctuating  each  tender  sentence  with  a  kiss  and  going 
to  sleep  with  it  tucked  in  her  nightdress  next  her  heart. 

This  was  an  unusually  bulky  enclosure  and  she 
hugged  it  in  anticipation;  how  sweet  it  was  of  him  to 
devote  so  much  of  his  time  to  her  in  his  busiest  season. 
Passionately  she  pressed  her  lips  to  it  again  and  with  a 
sigh  of  delight  drew  out  —  a  single  sheet  of  note  paper 
enclosing  a  closely-folded  page  of  printed  matter. 

As  though  doubting  her  senses,  she  sat  erect  in  bed 
and  unfolded  the  newspaper;  there  was  nothing  en 
closed  therein  and  with  perplexity  writ  large  all  over 
her  face  she  turned  curiously  to  the  written  sheet. 

Slowly,  as  one  in  a  daze,  she  read  and  reread  it  a 
dozen  times;  it  was  very  short  and  in  nowise  ambigu 
ously  phrased,  yet  she  did  not  seem  able  to  grasp  its 
meaning : 

266 


A  PASSAGE  AT  ARMS  267 

"  My  congratulations  on  the  speed  and  facility  with  which  your 
very  astute  and  clever  mother  has  extricated  you  from  what  must 
certainly  have  been  a  very  embarrassing  entanglement.  May  you 
be  as  happy  in  your  new  exalted  station  as  you  once  made  me 
imagine  I  was  going  to  be ! 

"  Owing  you,  as  I  do,  not  only  my  life  but  fortune  as  well,  for 
my  mines  are  now  in  bonanza,  I  confess  to  even  a  greater  indebted 
ness  :  you  gave  me  a  six-month  of  the  only  happiness  I  have  ever 
known.  But  you  would  have  rendered  me  an  incalculably  greater 
service  had  you  left  those  dynamite  cartridges  undisturbed  that 
day. 

"If  in  the  mutations  of  time  and  chance  you  should  ever  have 
need  of  me,  the  life  and  fortune  which  you  gave  are  at  your  com 
mand.  Good-by." 

In  an  agony  of  bewilderment  she  took  up  the  news 
paper,  intuitively  seeking  the  Society  Columns. 

Mrs.  Robert  Carter,  leisurely  preparing  for  her 
night's  rest  in  the  adjoining  apartment,  looked  up  with 
a  pleasant  smile  as  the  communicating  door  opened,  a 
word  of  loving  greeting  on  her  lips.  But  there  was 
little  of  answering  affection  in  the  glittering  eyes  and 
white  face  of  the  girl  who,  with  clenched  hands  and 
dilating  nostrils,  advanced  upon  her.  Something  in  the 
unnatural  demeanor  of  Grace  alarmed  her  and  she 
nervously  dropped  her  hair  brush  and  rose  to  her  feet. 

"Grade!     What  is  it?" 

Very  deliberately  the  girl  thrust  the  printed  sheet 
into  her  mother's  hand  and  in  a  calm  voice  demanded: 

"  Tell  me,  what  part  did  you  have  in  this?  " 

In  astonishment  the  elder  woman  ran  her  eye  hur 
riedly  over  the  item  the  rigid  finger  was  pointing  out; 
her  face  hardened  with  anger  and  annoyance. 


268  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

"  None  whatever,  my  child,"  she  said  with  an  evident 
truthfulness  that  carried  with  it  instant  conviction.  "  I 
am  as  much  surprised  and  pained  as  you  are.  Instead 
of  sanctioning  such  an  alliance  it  would  have  received 
my  firmest  opposition.  Lord  Ellerslie  scarcely  approx 
imates  to  my  ideals  of  a  son-in-law.  This  is  the  work 
of  some  contemptible  penny-a-liner  with  a  superfluity  of 
space  to  fill;  it  is  not  worth  refuting,  dear;  women  of 
our  station  are  always  exposed  to  these  petty  annoy 
ances  and  this  may  have  been  written  with  the  very  ob 
ject  of  inciting  our  space-filling  denial.  Don't  be  un 
duly  exercised  over  such  a  trifle."  And  then  a  bit  re- 
reproachfully,  "  You  really  could  not  think  me  accessory 
to  such  a  contemptible  thing  as  that,  daughtie?  " 

At  the  endearing  diminutive  the  hardness  left  the 
girl's  face  and  her  lips  trembled  pitifully.  Unable  to 
speak  she  mutely  held  out  Douglass's  letter  and  the 
mother,  comprehending,  took  her  shelteringly  to  her 
bosom  while  she  read  it.  At  its  conclusion  she  patted 
the  silken  hair  caressingly. 

"  Don't  worry,  dearie,"  she  said  reassuringly.  "  A 
cablegram  will  set  this  matter  right.  It  is  unfortunate 
that  he  should  have  seen  this  particular  paper."  She 
paused  abruptly,  a  sudden  suspicion  intruding  itself. 
But  she  did  not  voice  it,  and  bent  to  the  consolation  of 
the  now  weeping  girl. 

"Oh!  Mummy,"  she  sobbed,  "I  love  him  so!  I 
love  him  so!  Let  us  go  home  before  my  heart 
breaks !  " 

Mrs.  Carter  took  up  the  letter  again.  "  My  mines 
are  now  in  bonanza,"  she  read. 


A  PASSAGE  AT  ARMS  269 

"  We  will  take  the  next  steamer,"  she  said  quietly. 
"  And  upon  second  thought  I  think  we  had  better  not 
cable.  Better  make  your  denial  in  person;  it  will  be 
more  effective." 

While  Grace  Carter  was  speeding  homeward  with  a 
heavy  heart,  out  at  the  VN  ranch  Constance  Brevoort 
was  in  a  delirium  of  feverish  happiness,  and  Douglass, 
thrilled  by  her  passionate  abandon,  had  not  yet  tired. 
Upon  him  she  showered  all  the  affection  so  long  re 
pressed;  and  her  fervor  and  intensity,  which  awed  him 
not  a  little,  was  very  flattering  to  his  vanity.  Too 
subtly  wise  to  risk  wearying  him  with  too  great  ex 
actions  on  his  time,  she  was  rather  shy  and  disposed  to 
hold  him  aloof,  thus  skillfully  shifting  the  onus  of  im 
portunity  on  to  his  shoulders  and  so  keeping  alive  and 
burning  the  flame  at  which  she  had  lighted  all  her  hopes. 
But  in  the  occasional  moments  of  their  intimate  com 
munion  she  flooded  him  with  sweetness  even  as  the 
"  Serpent  of  the  old  Nile  "  washed  reason  from  the 
mind  of  Antony  and  laved  his  soul  with  living  fire.  O£ 
what  the  world  might  think  or  say,  of  her  husband's 
fury  and  probable  revenge,  of  her  friends'  inevitable 
ostracism  she  thought  with  indifference  if  at  all;  in  this 
new-found  happiness  everything  else  was  lost.  She 
lived  entirely  in  the  present,  obstinately  refusing  to 
reckon  with  the  future.  Once,  when  he  hesitatingly 
broached  the  subject  of  their  future  relations,  she 
stopped  his  mouth  with  kisses  and  breathed  into  his 
ear  the  sophistry  of  the  old  Tent-maker  of  Naishapur: 


270          THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

"Ah,  fill  the  Cup;  what  boots  it 

to  repeat 
How   Time   is   slipping  underneath 

our  Feet? 
Unborn  TO-MORROW  and  dead 

YESTERDAY, 
Why  fret  about  them  if  TO-DAY 

be  sweet?" 

She  was  very  frankly  in  love  with  him,  and  he  not  at 
all  with  her.  So  far  as  she  was  concerned  he  was 
simply  a  wolf,  with  a  wolf's  wild  desire.  Of  course, 
the  situation  had  its  attractions,  and  the  risks  incurred 
lent  an  added  charm  to  this  danger-loving  young  ani 
mal.  He  was  infatuated  with  her  physically,  but  that 
was  all.  Of  this  she  was  fully  conscious,  but  with  a 
hope  born  of  desperation  she  determined  to  hold  him 
while  she  could;  who  knows  what  a  day  may  bring 
forth?  Anselm  Brevoort  was  getting  old;  she  would 
be  a  very  wealthy  widow;  and  this  man,  despite  his 
very  humble  station,  had  been  reared  in  luxury  and  had 
a  keen  appreciation  of  the  higher  amenities.  She  was 
more  than  content  to  drift,  leaving  the  ultimate  harbor 
in  the  lap  of  the  gods. 

The  story  of  a  rich  strike  spreads  very  rapidly  in  a 
mining  region;  within  three  months  after  the  explosion 
of  that  wild-flung  dynamite  all  the  Rocky  Mountain 
country  was  agog  with  marvelous  tales  of  Douglass's 
luck  and  a  great  rush  of  prospectors  was  made  to  the 
new  Eldorado.  At  the  time  of  the  discovery  of  the 
quartz  ledge,  at  Douglass's  suggestion,  Brevoort,  Car 
ter  and  McVey  had  conjointly  located  three  extension 
claims  on  the  vein,  and  the  two  women,  Grace  and 


A  PASSAGE  AT  ARMS  271 

Constance,  had  also  located  two  claims  in  their  joint 
names.  The  assessment  work  legally  required  to  hold 
these  claims  had  all  been  done  and  the  necessary  ex 
cavations  had  shown  all  the  five  extensions  to  contain 
values.  The  additional  work  required  to  make  the 
holdings  patentable  was  rushed  to  completion,  and  be 
fore  the  inrush  of  the  prospective  Midases  had  fairly 
begun,  the  titles  had  been  made  incontestibly  secure. 

In  the  parlance  of  the  camps  Douglass's  original 
discoveries  "  paid  from  grass-roots  down  "  and  his  ex 
ploitation  work  was  all  in  high  grade  ore.  With  the 
proceeds  derived  from  its  sale  he  installed  a  diamond 
drilling  plant  with  which  he  thoroughly  prospected  the 
formation  within  his  boundary  lines  with  the  result  of 
indisputably  establishing  the  continuity  of  the  rich  de 
posits.  So  extensive  and  valuable  did  these  prove  that 
he  was  fairly  inundated  with  offers  of  purchase  from 
the  shrewd  representatives  of  various  syndicates,  the 
figures  rising  with  each  successive  bid  as  the  vein  was 
definitely  proved.  But  the  offers  as  yet  were  scarcely 
half  the  amount  which  Douglass  had  sturdily  demanded 
for  his  holdings,  although  at  his  advice  the  two  women 
and  Red  McVey  sold  out  their  interests  to  a  syndicate 
headed  and  promoted  by  Anselm  Brevoort.  His  good 
judgment  was  fully  vindicated  later,  when,  after  exten 
sive  exploitation  the  consolidated  five  extension  claims 
barely  yielded  ore  enough  to  pay  the  purchase  price, 
the  real  ore  chimney  being  confined  inside  Douglass's 
property.  And  as  the  three  lucky  venders  received  in 
the  neighborhood  of  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  each, 
with  only  a  nominal  outlay  for  assessment  work  and 


272  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

patenting,  the  transaction  was  very  satisfactory  to  them. 

Before  sailing  for  Europe,  Grace  had  at  her  brother's 
suggestion  given  Douglass  power  of  attorney  for  the 
handling  of  her  interests,  and  he  had  duly  deposited 
her  share  of  the  proceeds  to  her  credit  in  Denver's  best 
bank,  notifying  her  brother  of  the  disposition  of  the 
fund  and  suggesting  that  it  be  retained  there  until  her 
return,  when  it  could  be  presented  as  an  agreeable  sur 
prise.  Constance's  share  simply  swelled  an  already 
very  respectable  private  banking  account,  and  Red 
McVey  had  very  wisely  taken  Douglass's  earnest  ad 
vice  and  invested  his  entire  fortune  in  Denver  Tram 
way  stock,  eventually  buying  with  the  resultant  divi 
dends  a  splendid  ranch.  But  that  is  another  story. 

Brevoort's  syndicate  was  composed  altogether  of 
European  investors,  and  that  astute  financier,  fully 
aware  of  the  great  value  of  Douglass's  holdings,  was 
in  conference  with  his  colleagues  in  London,  urging 
their  acceptance  of  the  cool  million  demanded  by  the 
hard-headed  owner.  The  day  Grace  Carter  and  her 
mother  landed  in  New  York  on  their  homeward  pas 
sage  he  had  finally  achieved  his  point  and  immediately 
cabled  Douglass  and  his  Denver  banking  correspondent 
to  that  effect,  authorizing  the  latter  to  make  an  initial 
payment  of  one-tenth  of  the  required  amount  to  bind 
the  transaction  pending  his  immediate  return  to  com 
plete  the  deal.  At  his  earnest  request  Douglass  left 
immediately  on  receipt  of  his  advice  for  Denver. 

Considering  the  unattractive  conditions  at  the  ranch 
in  event  of  his  absence  for  an  indefinite  time,  it  is 


A  PASSAGE  AT  ARMS  273 

scarcely  to  be  wondered  at  that  Constance  Brevoort 
elected  to  accompany  him. 

Three  days  after  their  arrival  at  the  metropolis, 
Grace  Carter  accompanied  by  her  brother  reached  Den 
ver  on  their  way  to  the  ranch,  having  no  intimation 
of  the  others'  presence  in  the  city.  In  order  to  dis 
tract  his  sister's  mind  from  her  nervous  brooding,  Rob 
ert  insisted  upon  her  attendance  at  the  opera,  the  night 
of  their  arrival,  and  at  her  listless  acquiescence  had  pro 
cured  box  seats.  It  chanced  to  be  Carmen,  with  Calve 
in  the  title  role.  The  assemblage  was  a  brilliant  one 
and  Calve  was  at  her  best.  Always  an  emotional  crea 
ture,  Grace  yielded  to  the  fascination  of  the  story  and 
had  temporarily  forgotten  her  own  troubles  when  she 
chanced  to  glance  at  the  lower  box  immediately  oppo 
site,  into  which  had  just  entered  a  man  and  woman. 
The  woman  was  Constance  Brevoort  and  her  escort  was 
Ken  Douglass ! 

Even  though  clad  in  the  conventional  full  dress  in 
which  she  had  never  before  beheld  him,  there  was  no 
mistaking  that  lean,  muscular  form  and  bronzed  face. 
Eagerly  she  leaned  forward,  her  lips  parted  and  her 
face  flushed  with  excitement.  How  wonderful  to  find 
him  here  so  unexpectedly;  it  would  shorten  her  agony 
at  least  five  blessed  days !  But  —  but  —  why  was 
Constance  with  him?  Unconsciously  a  chilling  wave 
swept  over  her  and  she  drew  back  into  the  shelter  of 
the  box  with  a  vague  uneasiness  tugging  at  her  heart. 
Carter,  frankly  interested  in  the  voluptuous  Carmen, 
had  no  eyes  except  for  the  stage,  and  did  not  notice  his 


274  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

sister's  perturbation.     It  is  worthy  of  note  that  she  did 
not  call  his  attention  to  the  occupants  of  the  other  box. 

For  as  she  stealthily  watched  her  betrothed  husband's 
removal  of  Constance's  cloak  there  was  something  in 
the  manner  of  both  that  drove  the  color  from  her  face. 
And  when,  in  an  intermission,  as  he  leaned  over  her, 
she  saw  Constance  Brevoort's  lips  laid  surreptitiously 
on  his  throat,  she  gave  a  heart-broken  gasp  and  nerv 
ously  implored  her  brother  to  take  her  back  to  the 
hotel. 

All  unconscious  of  the  cause,  and  with  never  a  look 
'at  the  opposite  box,  he  instantly  complied,  reproaching 
himself  with  having  subjected  her  to  this  unadvisable 
strain  on  her  nerves.  On  their  arrival  at  their  hotel 
she  pleaded  a  slight  indisposition  from  weariness  of 
travel  and  at  once  retired. 

With  clenched  hands  and  white  face  she  lay  staring 
into  the  darkness.  It  was  all  plain  to  her  now !  For 
with  an  intuition  that  went  straight  to  the  mark,  she 
knew  who  was  the  instigator  of  the  report  of  her  en 
gagement  to  Lord  Ellerslie ;  and  she  knew  why !  Curi 
ously  enough,  she  attached  no  blame  to  him,  but  she 
felt  a  deep  and  increasing  hatred  for  the  woman  who 
had  robbed  her.  There  could  be  only  one  interpreta 
tion  of  their  relations  and  her  whole  nature  resented 
it  passionately.  But  her  love  for  him  was  very  great 
and  she  was  eager  to  give  him  the  benefit  of  the  doubt, 
even  while  her  whole  sentience  shrieked  his  guilt. 

The  next  morning  she  called  a  bellboy  and  handed 
him  a  bank  note  upon  which  lay  a  slip  of  paper. 

"  Find  out  for  me,  please,"  she  said,  with  a  forced 


A  PASSAGE  AT  ARMS  275 

smile,  "  the  hotel  where  these  two  friends  of  mine  are 
registered,  without  letting  them  know.  I  want  to  call 
upon  them  unexpectedly  and  surprise  them.''  The  lad 
bowed  his  appreciation  of  her  generosity  and  in  less 
than  a  half  hour  returned  with  the  desired  information. 
It  was  "  dead  easy  to  locate  swells  of  that  kind,"  as  he 
shrewdly  remarked  to  an  envious  colleague  who  had 
begrudged  him  that  magnificent  tip. 

She  was  all  honied  complaisance  when  she  called  up 
on  Constance  that  morning  immediately  after  break 
fast,  much  to  that  lady's  consternation  and  surprise. 
For  a  moment  Mrs.  Brevoort  was  speechless  and  panic- 
stricken,  but  she  was  an  old  campaigner  and  soon  re 
covered  her  composure.  She  professed  her  delight  at 
the  unexpected  pleasure  and  then  boldly  played  a  false 
card. 

"  Your  coming  was  so  unexpected,  dear,  that  it  has 
deprived  me  of  my  good  manners.  I  sincerely  con 
gratulate  you  on  your  engagement  to  Lord  Ellerslie. 
It  was  a  great  surprise  to  me;  I  was,  er  —  under  the 
impression  — " 

Grace  looked  at  her  steadily,  a  cynical  contempt 
faintly  curling  the  red  lips.  "  Really!  How  strange! 
I  should  have  imagined  that  my  own  surprise  would 
have  been  the  greater,  considering  that,  as  you  know, 
there  was  not  a  word  of  truth  in  that  announcement  so 
maliciously  dictated  by  some  contemptible  wretch  to 
subserve  her  own  vicious  purpose.  By  this  time  our 
lawyers  will  have  determined  the  responsibility  for  that 
pitiful  lie,  although  I  have  already  a  full  conviction 
as  to  its  authorship !  It's  really  dreadful,  Connie ! 


276  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

But,  as  mamma  says,  women  of  our  station  are  prover 
bially  exposed  to  such  annoyances.  And  people  have 
absolutely  no  regard  for  the  probable  consequences  of 
their  malicious  gossip.  Think  of  what  it  would  mean 
to  you,  dear,  for  instance,  if  someone  were  to  merci 
lessly  convey  to  Mr.  Brevoort  an  insinuation  that  you 
had  been  guilty  of  —  of  a  great  indiscretion!  Think 
of  the  publicity,  the  scandal,  the  shame  of  it;  the  loss 
of  home,  rank,  station  and  friends." 

Under  the  lash  of  the  bitterly  deliberate  words  Con 
stance  Brevoort  winced  and  cringed.  This  thing  of 
white  flame  and  quiet  fury  was  scarcely  the  "  colorless 
entity  "  of  her  misplaced  contempt.  How  much  did 
she  really  know,  anyway?  The  doubt  was  cutting  her 
soul  into  ribbons. 

Summoning  all  her  really  great  courage  to  her  aid, 
she  affected  to  treat  the  matter  humorously  and  gave  an 
exaggerated  little  shiver  of  deprecation.  But  all  the 
time  her  heart  was  quaking  with  a  fear  of  the  outraged 
girl  before  her.  Yet  she  had  all  the  proverbial  cour 
age  —  or  is  it  the  desperation  —  of  the  cornered  wolf 
she  knew  herself  to  be,  and  metaphorically  bared  her 
teeth. 

"  How  dramatically  grewsome  your  suggestion, 
cherie!  It  really  gives  me  the  shivers !  But  supposing 
the  absurdly  impossible;  what  then?  Don't  you  know 
that  the  world  and  all  its  hollow  shams  are  well  lost 
for  a  love  like  the  one  you  are  intimating?  "  It  was 
a  distinct  challenge;  one  could  read  it  diviningly  in  the 
set  lips  and  flashing  eyes  as  well.  But  love  fights  dog 
gedly  and  unconqueredly  long  after  volatile  and  ephem- 


A  PASSAGE  AT  ARMS  277 

eral  passion  has  fled  a  stubborn  field,  and  this  was  the 
love  of  the  daughter  of  "  the  bravest  man  God  ever 
made." 

"  You  are  jumping  at  conclusions,  dear,"  she  said, 
with  a  careless  indulgence  which  made  her  hearer's  jaws 
meet  with  a  venomous  click.  "  I  have  intimated  noth 
ing,  not  even  the  possibility  of  your  ever  being  tempted 
by  the  arising  of  such  a  contingency.  And  yet,  having 
had  many  lovers  —  if  the  tales  be  true  —  you  should 
be  able  to  speak  authoritatively !  " 

If  looks  could  have  slain,  the  world  would  have  been 
forever  lost  to  Grace  Carter  at  that  moment.  It  took 
Constance  quite  a  time  to  control  herself  sufficiently  to 
avoid  betraying  her  rage  at  this  chit's  insolent  assur 
ance.  When  she  did  speak  her  words  were  sweetly 
vitriolic: 

"  One  can  imagine  the  shock  Ellerslie's  vanity  will 
encounter  when  he  learns  of  that  canard !  Such  things 
require  so  much  explanation,  too !  I  am  really  sorry, 
dear,  at  your  humiliating  predicament.  And  what  in 
the  name  of  Venus  are  you  going  to  say  in  conciliation 
to  Kenneth  Douglass?  " 

Grace  flinched  pitifully  at  this  double  louche  of  her 
adversary's  keen  weapon,  but  her  eyes  glinted  like  bur 
nished  steel.  The  duel  was  to  be  a  ly  entrance  now, 
and  she  put  all  her  indignation  and  subtlety  behind  her 
blow.  The  older  woman  had  noted  with  a  malicious 
pleasure  a  dull  flushing  of  the  fair  face  and  throat  but 
had  wrongly  ascribed  its  cause.  The  battle  ground 
was  her  bedchamber,  and  over  on  a  chair,  carelessly 
thrown,  lay  a  man's  light  topcoat  and  a  pair  of  gloves 


278  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

many  sizes  too  large  for  Constance's  dainty  hands  1 
With  a  world  of  scornful  meaning  the  girl  looked  at  the 
chair,  and  the  eyes  of  the  woman  following  the  direc 
tion  of  that  glance,  grew  black  with  confusion. 

"  I  think  he  has  been  sufficiently  appealed  to  in  the 
name  of  your  patron  goddess,'*  she  said,  icily,  "  and 
as  for  Lord  Ellerslie,  I  rejected  his  proposal  even  be 
fore  I  had  learned  of  his  relations  with  the  author  of 
that  despicable  lie.  As  for  Mr.  Douglass — " 

The  words  died  on  her  tongue  as  the  door,  evidently 
communicating  with  another  room  adjoining,  suddenly 
opened  and  a  well-known  voice  said  familiarly: 

"  Did  I  leave  my  coat  and  gloves  in  here  last  night, 
Connie?  There  would  be  the  devil  to  pay  if  the  cham 
bermaid — !  " 

Standing  there  in  his  shirt  sleeves,  Ken  Douglass 
was,  for  the  first  time  in  his  reckless  life,  at  a  disadvan 
tage  too  great  for  even  his  conceded  adroitness  to  over 
come.  In  a  coma  of  stupefaction,  with  horror  and 
shame  written  all  over  his  gray-white  face,  he  stood 
staring  at  the  pale,  haughty  face  so  relentlessly  directed 
toward  him.  For  a  full  minute  she  held  him  on  the 
rack  of  her  scorn;  then  with  a  hard  composure  in  her 
voice,  which  accorded  but  poorly  with  the  unutterable 
loathing  and  aversion  in  her  eyes,  she  said  coldly : 

"  I  am  doubly  fortunate  in  this  rencounter.  It  saves 
much  unnecessary  waste  of  time,  and  fatigue,  and  ver 
biage  to  find  you  here!  In  justice  to  us  both  I  have 
come  all  the  way  from  Europe  to  tell  you  that  my 
reported  engagement  to  Lord  Ellerslie  was  a  cruel 
lie!" 


A  PASSAGE  AT  ARMS  279 

And  without  another  word  she  swept  proudly  out 
of  the  room  without  deigning  one  look  at  the  woman 
cowering  on  the  cushioned  divan. 

"  Take  me  home,  Bobbie !  "  she  sobbed  piteously  to 
her  brother,  as  she.  clung  forsakenly  to  him  in  their  sit 
ting-room.  And  further  explanation  she  would  vouch 
him  none,  despite  his  bewildered  implorations.  "  Take 
me  home;  I  want  Mummy!  " 

That  night  after  she  had  retired  he  picked  up  from 
the  floor,  where  it  had  fluttered  unnoticed,  a  scrap  of 
paper  containing  two  names  and  a  hotel  address.  He 
stared  at  it  uncomprehendingly  and  then  a  cold  sweat 
stood  on  his  wrinkled  brow.  He  went  over  to  his 
dressing-case  and  took  out  a  shining  nickel-plated  re 
volver.  Tiptoeing  cautiously  into  his  sister's  room  he 
gently  kissed  the  tear-stained  face.  Then  he  went  out 
very  softly  and  called  for  a  cab. 

In  the  ordinary  of  the  vast  hostelry  he  found  Doug 
lass  sitting  on  an  easy-chair,  staring  into  vacancy.  At 
his  curt  address  the  man  looked  up  wearily  and  gravely 
motioned  him  toward  the  elevator.  It  was  noticeable 
that  neither  offered  to  shake  hands,  despite  the  close 
ness  of  their  relations  and  the  further  fact  that  they 
had  not  met  in  better  than  half  a  year. 

In  silence  Carter  strode  after  him  until  they  reached 
Douglass's  apartments;  then  turning  to  the  silent  man 
before  him,  he  sternly  asked : 

"  What  have  you  done  to  my  sister?  " 

Douglass,  leaning  against  the  window  jamb,  looking 
out  into  the  soft  summer  night,  made  no  reply.  Carter 
crossed  over  fiercely  and  wrenched  him  around. 


280  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

"Answer  me!  Or  by  God,  I'll  tear  it  out  of  you 
with  my  hands!  " 

His  breath  was  coming  thickly  but  there  was  no  fear 
in  the  eyes  of  old  Bob  Carter's  boy. 

Douglass  looked  at  him,  with  apathetic  wonder. 

"  I've  lost  her !  "  he  answered  dully.  Carter  looked 
at  him  with  impatient  amazement,  mingled  with  sus 
picion.  Was  the  man  crazy,  or  was  this  only  a  weak 
attempt  at  evasion?  He  was  going  to  know  and  that 
without  any  more  foolishness.  Savagely  he  caught 
hold  of  the  other's  coat  lapel  and  shook  him  with  an 
incredible  strength. 

"  She  came  across  an  ocean  and  two  continents  to 
tell  you  that  she  was  true  to  you,  damn  you !  And 
she  has  just  cried  herself  to  sleep!  I  want  the 
truth,  do  you  hear!  "  His  boyish  face  was  convulsed 
with  passion  and  his  whole  effeminate  body  was 
aquiver. 

"  I've  lost  her !  "  repeated  Douglass,  unemotionally, 
offering  not  the  slightest  resistance  to  the  other's  vehe 
mence.  "  I've  lost  her !  "  as  though  that  were  the 
Alpha  and  Omega  of  all  things.  Then  he  turned 
fiercely  to  the  younger  man. 

"  What  in  hell  do  you  want?  " 

The  boy  blazed  back  at  him  as  fiercely,  fumbling 
the  weapon  in  his  pocket. 

"  I  want  the  whole  truth  of  this  miserable  thing  — 
the  whole  truth !  And  if  you  have  made  my  sister  suf 
fer  through  anything  unworthy,  I  want  your  heart's 
blood  as  well!  Damn  you,  are  you  going  to  speak?  " 
He  clutched  frantically  at  Douglass's  throat.  Very; 


A  PASSAGE  AT  ARMS  281 

calmly  the  bronzed  giant  circled  his  wrists  with  a  grip 
of  steel  and  held  him  off  at  arms'  length. 

"  Sit  down,  Carter,"  he  said  in  a  normal  tone.  "  It 
is  your  right  to  know  and  you  shall.  I  have  wronged 
your  sister !  No,  you  fool,  not  in  that  way !  "  as  the 
boy  struggled  furiously  in  his  vice-like  grip.  u  But  I 
am  deserving  of  any  punishment  you  may  choose  to  in 
flict."  And  without  preamble  he  told  Carter  the  whole 
story,  only  suppressing  the  name  of  the  woman  con 
cerned. 

At  its  conclusion  the  boy  breathed  easier  and  the 
truculence  went  out  of  him  entirely  as  Douglass  laid 
his  head  on  his  arms  and  muttered  hoarsely: 

"I  love  her!  I  love  her!  And  now  I've  lost 
her!" 

Bobbie  Carter  rose  and  put  his  hand  on  the  brawny 
shoulder.  His  voice  was  harsh  with  sympathy,  after 
the  fashion  of  man. 

"  YouVe  been  all  kinds  of  a  senseless  ass,  Ken,"  he 
said,  affectionately,  his  faith  in  his  hero  once  more  re 
stored,  "  but  it  is  not  as  bad  as  I  thought.  You  want 
to  break  off  with  Mrs. — "  he  had  almost  betrayed  his 
knowledge  of  that  which  Douglass  had  been  chival 
rously  trying  to  conceal  — "  with  that  woman,  who 
ever  she  is,  and  in  course  of  time,  after  she  has  bawled 
her  foolish  little  eyes  out,  Gracie  will  forgive  you.  I 
know  her  like  a  book.  I'm  her  brother,  you  know ! 
Buck  up,  old  man!  She'll  make  it  hard  for  you,  and 
you  are  going  to  get  a  bitter  lesson.  But  it  will  come 
out  all  right  in  time  —  if  you  don't  go  loco  again  and 
spoil  it  all." 


282          THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

But  all  his  pleading  and  remonstrances  were  unavail 
ing  with  his  sister  when  he  sought  to  effect  a  reconcilia 
tion.  She  had  been  irremediably  hurt,  and,  in  her  mis 
ery,  actually  hoped  that  she  would  never  see  him  again. 
She  insisted  upon  returning  home;  and  then  consented 
to  go  on  to  the  ranch  for  a  short,  and,  as  she  firmly 
resolved,  a  final  visit! 

Douglass,  watching  her  as  he  thought  unseen,  the 
next  morning  at  the  Union  Depot,  as  she  entered  the 
west-bound  train,  was  filled  with  a  great  repentance  and 
remorse.  He  did  not  know  that  she  stood  at  the 
proper  angle  to  see  his  disconsolate  face  until  the  train 
pulled  out.  It  must  be  confessed,  however,  that  it  was 
a  hard,  unrelenting  mouth  that  scornfully  curved  as  he 
strode  away  with  depressed  head  as  the  train  glided 
out  with  accelerating  speed. 

"  Like  as  not  he  will  go  straight  back  to  that  shame 
less  creature  as  soon  as  we  are  safely  out  of  sight!  " 
she  thought,  with  stiffly-erected  head.  And  as  a  curi 
ous  vindication  of  that  strange  quantity  in  women, 
which,  for  lack  of  some  better  name,  we  term  u  intui 
tion,"  we  are  truthfully  compelled  to  admit  that  is  just 
exactly  what  he  did! 


CHAPTER  XXI 

A  WIDENING  CHASM 

TEN  days  later  Brevoort  arrived  in  Denver  and  the 
deal  was  fully  consummated.  As  the  possessor  of  a  mil 
lion,  cowpunching  lost  its  charms  for  Douglass,  who 
resigned  his  connection  with  the  VN  interests. 

Brevoort,  realizing  his  own  inability  to  make  a  suc 
cess  of  ranching  without  expert  assistance,  made  Doug 
lass  a  very  favorable  proposition  to  take  over  his  ranch 
holdings,  which  was  promptly  accepted.  Within  thirty 
days  he  had  purchased  a  fine  "  bunch  "  of  high-grade 
cattle,  placing  the  whole  "  outfit "  under  the  efficient 
supervision  of  Punk  Wilson,  who,  reinforced  by  a  trio 
of  Lazy  K  boys,  who  transformed  their  allegiance  to 
Douglass,  soon  had  matters  running  along  swimmingly. 
The  ranch  was  thereafter  known  as  the  Circle  D,  that 
being  Douglass's  private  brand. 

Immediately  upon  taking  possession  of  his  new  prop 
erty  he  had  made  an  ineffectual  overture  towards 
Grace's  conciliation;  the  girl,  stung  by  jealousy  and 
smarting  under  a  sense  of  his  disloyalty,  had  scornfully 
rejected  his  advances  and  the  breach  was  wider  than 
ever  in  consequence.  Yet  her  visit  was  prolonged  far 
into  the  autumn,  possibly  because  she  was  determined 
not  to  give  a  clear  field  to  Constance  Brevoort,  who 

283 


284          THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

had  also  apparently  become  a  fixture.  All  relations 
between  the  two  women  had  been  severed  irrevocably, 
each  keeping  to  her  own  respective  bailiwick.  Con 
stance  had,  with  a  reluctant  regard  for  the  proprieties, 
established  herself  at  the  Blounts,  in  Tin  Cup,  and  after 
Grace's  contemptuous  treatment  of  Douglass,  he  spent 
the  major  portion  of  his  time  in  the  village.  Brevoort, 
engrossed  in  his  mining  schemes,  gravitated  between 
Tin  Cup  and  the  Roaring  Fork,  unseeingly. 

Over  at  the  C  Bar  the  situation  was  fast  growing 
intolerable  to  Grace  Carter.  Although  she  would 
rather  have  died  than  admit  it  even  to  herself,  her  love 
for  Douglass  only  increased  with  every  heart-wrench 
ing  report  of  his  recklessly  open  relations  with  the 
object  of  her  deepest  hatred,  which  were  constantly 
sifting  down  to  her  through  the  neighbors'  gossip.  As 
their  engagement  had  not  been  made  public,  she  was 
spared  the  irritating  commiseration  which  would  other 
wise  have  been  her  uneviable  lot.  All  knowledge  of  it 
was  fortunately  restricted  to  Abbie,  McVey,  Brevoort 
and  his  wife;  for  obvious  reasons  it  gained  no  further 
publicity.  Therefore  Douglass's  affair  was  regarded 
enviously  by  the  other  range  men,  and  it  must  be  con 
fessed,  rather  indulgently  by  the  range  women,  who 
found  not  a  great  deal  of  fault  with  his  conquest  of 
this  supercilious  "  big-bug  "  who  had  weaned  the  hearts 
of  their  men  away  from  proper  altars  of  devotion. 
Old  Abbie,  alone,  was  bitterly  vituperative  of  both  the 
man  and  his  condoning  admirers. 

"  Why  is  it,"  she  indignantly  snorted  to  Mrs.  Blount, 
on  the  occasion  of  one  of  that  lady's  garrulous  visits, 


A  WIDENING  CHASM  285 

"  that  all  wimmen,  even  r'ally  good  ones,  have  a  kinda 
sneakin'  likin'  foah  a  rake?  Thu  worse  thu  mizzable 
he-critters  be,  thu  moah  yuh  giggle  at  theah  nastiness ! 
It's  a  wondeh  to  me  thet  men  eveh  get  married  at  all 
any  moah.  I  disremembeh  eveh  hearin'  any  she-male 
talkin'  about  thu  goodness  of  any  r'ally  decent  man, 
married  er  single;  but  jest  let  some  tur'ble  mean- 
minded  cuss  get  to  cuttin'  capehs  with  some  fool  wo 
man  er  tother,  an'  every  ole  brindle  on  thu  range  chaws 
on  thu  cud  of  it  like  a  dogie  on  May  blue-joint;  an' 
as  fer  thu  heifers,  every  blessed  one  on  'em  purtends 
to  be  buffaloed  if  he  crosses  theah  trail  an'  skitteh 
away,  lookin'  back  disap'inted  if  he  don't  folleh  an' 
try  to  raound  'em  up.  An'  bimeby,  when  he  gets  good 
an'  plenty  tiahed  o1  hell-ahootin'  araound,  he  jes'  ups 
an'  nach'rally  takes  hes  pick  o'  thu  cream  o'  thu  bunch, 
leavin'  thu  skim  milk  fer  better  men  whose  shoes  he 
ain't  fitten  to  lick! 

"  I  don't  know  why,"  she  went  on  regretfully,  calmly 
ignoring  the  indignant  protest  of  her  scandalized 
hearer,  "  an'  I  reckon  Gawd,  Hisself,  don't  know 
eitheh,  but  wre  locoed  wimmen  allus  love  bad  men  a  heap 
better'n  we  do  good  ones.  I've  been  seein'  it  all  my 
life  ontil  I'm  got  plumb  ashamed  o'  my  sect." 

But  to  Grace,  that  night,  she  said  inconsistently,  her 
gray  crest  bristling  with  impatience: 

"  Honey,  anything  in  this  wohld  that's  worth  havin' 
is  worth  fightin'  foh !  Yuh  are  no  Cahteh  if  yuh  stand 
foh  anybody's  runnin'  off  yuah  stock.  Neveh  yuh 
mind  haow  wild  an'  ornary  he  'peahs  to  be  just  now, 
that  fool  boy  is  a  thorrerbred  at  heart,  and  the  best 


286  THE  SONG  OE  THE  WOLF 

on  'em  go  loco  by  spells.  Thu  betteh  the  breed,  thu 
worse  they  bolt  when  things  go  wrong,  but  they  are 
mighty  good  critters  to  have  in  yuah  brand!  Thu 
trouble  is  that  you  been  feedin'  him  on  bran  mash  when 
he's  system  was  ahollerin'  foh  star-shavin's !  Ken 
Douglass  ain't  no  yeahlin'  no  moah,  honey;  he  ain't  no 
child  to  be  tooken'  an'  raised  like  we  did  Buffo;  he's  a 
strong  man  an'  wants  strong  meat  with  salt  an'  peppeh 
on  it.  An'  long's  he's  not  robbin'  yuah  lahdeh  what  yuh 
gotta  kick  about?  " 

But  she  turned  her  head  away  as  the  girl  said  bit 
terly  : 

"  And  you,  too?  It  is  part  of  the  Divine  scheme, 
then,  that  only  women  should  keep  themselves  pure 
and  sweet  and  clean  in  order  to  merit  the  beatitudes  of 
*  holy  '  matrimony !  Delilah  gets  the  kernel,  and  Ruth 
the  husks!  You  shameless  old  woman!  To  think 
that  you  would  dare  preach  such  a  wickedness  with  un 
blushing  face !  " 

"  Dearie,"  said  the  old  woman  slowly,  "  Theah's 
been  Delilahs  eveh  since  theah's  been  Samsons  an'  they 
aflus  will  be.  I  reckon  Gawd  made  'em  to  kinda  take 
thu  aige  offen  men's  sharp  desiah  so  as  to  keep  it  from 
cuttin'  puah  hearts  apaht.  Yuh  cain't  change  natuh, 
lammie;  wild  oats  will  be  agrowin'  long  afteh  thu  sec 
ond  comin'  o'  Christ!  But  theah  allus  sown  in  wild 
an'  waste  places  as  is  right  an'  fitten,  an'  thu  seed  runs 
out  in  time.  Thu, betteh  growths  need  pureh  soil,  an' 
men  wisely  sow  theah  good  seed  in  the  clean  gahdens 
that  Gawd  intended  thu  otheh  kind  o'  wimmins'  hearts 
to  be.  Yuh  kin  allus  cook  betteh,  too,  on  thu  steady 


A  WIDENING  CHASM  287 

heat  of  thu  coals  afteh  the  flame  o'  fierce  fiah  has  buhned 
itself  out,  an'  thu  brand  that  holds  a  man  bites  deepeh 
if  it's  heated  in  the  glowin'  heart  of  Love  afteh  thu 
flame  an'  smoke  of  passion  has  drifted  away. 

"  Theah's  things  in  a  man's  natuh  that's  gotta  be 
buhned  out;  yuh  cain't  prune  'em  away.  An'  like 
measles,  mumps  an'  small-pox,  it's  bettah  to  happen 
when  he's  young.  When  that  Brevoort  critter  has 
trimmed  Ken's  lamps  so's  they'll  burn  steady  without 
flickerin'  he'll  light  up  yuah  life  fob  all  time,  honey. 
An'  she's  almost  got  thu  jawb  done,  or  I  miss  my  guess! 
Yuh  take  my  advice,  an'  when  he  comes  cavortin'  about 
yeah  again  within  ropin'  distance  get  yuah  string  on 
him  and  corral  him  foh  keeps.  He'll  be  good  from 
now  on  if  you  give  him  thu  chanct.  An'  if  yuh  don't, 
he'll  run  rampageous  to  the  bad  —  an'  yuh'll  be  to 
blame!" 

And  the  wise  old  woman  was  even  wiser  than  she 
knew.  At  that  very  moment,  Douglass,  looking  at  a 
picture  that  should  have  logically  thrilled  him  to  the 
core,  was  travailing  in  a  morose  discontent  quite  in 
compatible  with  his  environment.  The  woman  for 
whose  sake  he  had  imperiled  all  that  a  man  holds  dear, 
was  sitting  opposite  him  on  the  hotel  veranda  in  the 
soft  moonlight,  with  little  Eulalie  cuddled  closely  to 
her.  Every  full,  round  line  of  her  betokened  her  per 
fect  fitness  for  maternity  and  the  motherhood  implanted 
in  every  woman's  heart  was  softly  irradiating  her  face 
as  she  bent  caressingly  over  the  sleeping  child.  In 
tended  by  Nature  as  a  mother  of  soldiers,  here  by  the 
caprice  of  fate  she  was  fostering  the  weak  offspring  of 


288  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

another  less  fit,  denied  woman's  highest  mission,  de 
barred  from  Nature's  most  noble  function.  And  he  had 
but  to  say  the  word! 

For  that  afternoon,  in  an  agony  of  passion,  she  had 
whispered  a  temptation  in  his  ear,  clinging  to  him  with 
all  the  seductiveness  in  her  nature: 

"  Let  us  go  away,  dear,  anywhere,  anywhere,  so  that 
we  are  together!  There  will  be  a  separation  without 
any  publicity,  for  he  is  very  proud ;  and  he  really  never 
cared!  Make  me  the  wife  and  mother  that  Nature  in 
tended  me  to  be;  give  me  the  fulfillment  that  is  every 
woman's  due !  " 

It  came  to  him  with  a  shock,  for  he  had  been  living 
only  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  present.  Brought  face  to 
face  with  the  eternal  future,  he  realized  a  great  unpre- 
paredness,  abnormal  as  it  was  disquieting.  He  had 
answered  her  evasively,  with  a  politic  tenderness  that 
satisfied  her  temporarily;  but  he  knew  that  her  insistence 
was  only  deferred,  and  his  answer  was  not  ready.  And 
to-night  he  was  cursing  the  inevitable  brutality  that  he 
knew  he  would  ultimately  be  compelled  to  exercise. 

For  even  as  his  soul  yearned  at  the  tender  appeal  of 
that  picture  most  exquisite  to  man,  the  mothering  of 
a  child,  the  beauteous  face  before  him  was  replaced  by 
another,  reproachful  and  haughty  yet  fair  with  a  purity 
and  beauty  indescribable,  the  patrician  mouth  trembling 
and  the  sweet  eyes  brimming  with  appeal.  Sharply 
he  shut  his  teeth  and  sat  erect. 

Only  one  woman  in  the  world  should  be  mother  to 
his  children  —  and  that  woman  was  not  the  beauty 
crooning  softly  to  that  sleeping  babe!  He  had  lost 


A  WIDENING  CHASM  289 

her  for  a  little  while  but  he  would  find  her,  and  the 
way  back  into  her  favor!  And  having  found  her,  at 
whatever  bitter  cost,  he  would  never  let  her  go  again! 
He  resolved  that  on  the  morrow  he  would  ride  over 
to  the  C  Bar  and  grovel  in  abasement  at  her  feet  if  need 
be. 

The  woman  sitting  opposite  him  shivered  telepathic- 
ally  and  a  tear  fell  on  the  face  of  the  child. 

"  He  is  weighing  me  against  her,"  she  thought,  fear 
fully,  "  and  I  am  afraid  —  afraid!  But  I  will  not 
give  him  up!  Oh,  my  God!  I  can  not!  " 

And  down  at  the  C  Bar  Grace  was  crying  to  her 
heart: 

"  Will  he  come?     Will  he  come?  " 

But  it  was  Red  McVey  who  came  awooing  in  the 
soft  dusk  of  the  succeeding  evening,  his  handsome  face 
bright  with  a  great  love,  his  six  feet  of  stalwart  manli 
ness  begroomed  with  appropriate  care.  He  was  far 
from  possessing  his  ordinary  confidence,  but  he  came 
bravely  to  the  point  and  the  girl's  eyes  held  as  much 
pride  as  they  did  sympathy  for  him. 

"  Your  love  is  an  honor  to  me,"  she  said,  gently. 
"  I  am  proud  to  have  inspired  such  a  feeling  in  so 
grand  a  man,  and  I  shall  thank  God  on  my  knees  for  it 
to-night!  But  it  is  impossible,  my  dear  friend;  you 
will  be  generous  and  spare  me  explanations  — " 

"  Don't  cry !  "  he  said,  gently,  but  his  face  was  very 
white  and  drawn.  "  I  understand.  Yuh  are  shore 
they  ain't  any  hope.  I'd  wait  fob  yeahs?" 

"  No,  dear  friend,  there  is  none.  I  do  not  think  I 
shall  ever  marry.  And  I  am  going  away  to-morrow." 


290          THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

She  held  out  her  hand  and  he  bent  awkwardly  over 
it.  Very  softly  he  pressed  his  lips  upon  the  little  pink 
palm.  Then  he  stood  erect,  still  holding  the  fluttering 
fingers  in  both  his  bronzed  hands. 

"  Yuh  will  neveh  know  what  yuhVe  been  to  me," 
he  said,  gravely,  "  and  what  yuh  will  always  be  to 
me  still.  It's  goin'  to  hurt  a  little,  of  course;  but  I'll 
have  my  dreams,  and  that's  something.  And  I'm  shore 
yuah  friend  as  you  said.  Gawd  make  yuh  happy !  " 

Then  he  went  quietly  out,  carefully  closing  the  door 
behind  him.  The  girl  waited  until  the  last  echo  of  his 
firm  steps  had  died  away.  Then  she  sat  down  beside 
the  table,  laid  her  face  on  her  arms  and  cried  bitterly. 

It  never  occurred  to  either  of  them  that  he  had  made 
no  reference  to  her  engagement  to  Douglass,  whose 
severance  he  could  not  possibly  have  known  except  by 
deduction. 

The  next  afternoon  he  drove  her  over  to  a  point 
where  the  stage  could  be  intercepted  without  going  to 
Tin  Cup.  She  desired  to  avoid  the  possibility  of  a 
chance  meeting  with  Constance  Brevoort  or  Douglass, 
despite  an  almost  irresistible  temptation  to  see  him  for 
the  last  time.  In  ten  days  more  she  was  aboard  an 
ocean  liner,  her  mother  unquestioningly  complying  with 
her  request  for  a  continental  tour,  wisely  leaving  the 
girl  to  her  own  time  in  the  matter  of  explanations. 
Besides,  she  had  adroitly  drawn  out  of  Robert  enough 
to  confirm  her  suspicions,  and  she  was  unqualifiedly  glad 
to  encourage  any  distractions  for  the  pale  girl  whose 
eyes  were  heavy  with  misery.  As  Grace  expressed  no 


A  WIDENING  CHASM  291 

preference  she  decided  on  Egypt,  and  the  departure 
was  made  without  unnecessary  loss  of  time. 

Had  Grace  gone  direct  to  Tin  Cup  that  day,  in 
stead  of  intercepting  the  stage  some  twenty  miles  out, 
or  if  the  driver  had  been  a  more  loquacious  man  than 
"  Timberline,"  she  would  have  been  spared  many  heart 
aches  at  the  price  of  a  sickening  terror.  For  the  day 
before,  the  man  that  she  loved,  bleeding  and  senseless, 
had  been  carried  into  the  hotel  at  Tin  Cup,  where  a 
white-faced,  wild-eyed  woman  sat  by  his  bedside  wait 
ing  the  arrival  of  the  doctor,  stonily  facing  a  despair 
too  great  for  words. 

With  the  firm  intention  of  riding  out  to  the  C  Bar 
that  afternoon  to  make  a  last  appeal  to  Grace  for  for 
giveness  and  reconciliation,  Douglass  had  rather  re 
luctantly  accompanied  Constance  for  her  morning's 
constitutional  on  horseback.  Divining  his  intention  in 
some  mysterious  manner  known  only  to  the  loving  jeal 
ous,  she  had  determined  to  frustrate  his  purpose  by 
making  her  ride  unusually  long,  thus  keeping  him  with 
her  until  too  late  to  reach  the  C  Bar  that  night.  She 
was  fighting  for  time,  and  every  moment  of  delay  was 
vital,  she  having  been  informed  of  the  intended  de 
parture  of  Grace  within  the  next  few  days.  If  she 
could  manage  to  prevent  their  meeting  before  that  time 
the  chasm  between  the  two  would  become  permanently 
unbridgable. 

Some  ten  miles  out  of  town,  in  a  magnificent  canon, 
reachable  only  by  a  somewhat  difficult  trail,  was  an  ex 
quisite  little  spot  well  known  to  both.  It  was  one  of 


292  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

their  favorite  rendezvous  in  the  trout-fishing  season, 
where  they  stopped  to  fry  the  delicious  fish  and  boil 
the  coffee  indispensable  to  an  al  fresco  luncheon. 
Hither,  too,  they  had  come  on  other  innumerable  oc 
casions  when  absolute  privacy  was  the  desire  of  both, 
and  it  was  to  this  place  of  tender  associations  and  more 
or  less  compelling  memories  that  she  diplomatically  led 
the  way.  Here,  in  the  great  outdoor  temple  of  this 
pantheist's  loving,  with  no  other  goddess  to  divert  him 
from  her  own  homage,  was  the  place  of  all  places  to 
regain  her  fast  waning  influence  over  him.  If  she 
could  only  hold  him  for  a  little  time  longer  success  was 
assured. 

Cleverly  disregarding  his  taciturnity  she  kept  up  a 
merry  chatter  as  they  rode  along,  finally  drawing  him 
skillfully  into  a  discussion  of  the  geological  features  of 
the  interesting  region  which  they  were  slowly  travers 
ing;  like  every  mining  expert  he  was  a  bit  profes 
sionally  pedantic  on  this  subject,  and  to  this  woman 
of  abnormally  clear  perceptions  it  was  a  positive  pleas 
ure  to  him  to  impart  the  really  great  information  with 
which  his  mind  was  stored.  Once  she  got  him  warmed 
up  to  his  subject  he  waxed  enthusiastic  in  his  disserta 
tion  on  dykes,  fissures,  blanket  veins  and  the  like,  even 
riding  out  of  their  course  to  point  out  confirming  forma 
tions  and  collect  specimens  of  their  characteristic  com 
ponents.  By  the  time  they  reached  the  embowered  lit 
tle  glade  in  the  canon  his  sullenness  was  completely  dis 
sipated,  and  he  kissed  her  very  passionately  as  he  lifted 
her  from  her  horse.  There  was  much  of  the  old  fire 


A  WIDENING  CHASM  293 

in  him  as  she  clung  distractingly  about  his  neck,  and  her 
eyes  gleamed  with  triumph. 

So  absorbed  had  they  become  in  each  other  that 
neither  noticed  the  slinking  figure  which  stole  out  of 
the  glade  at  the  sound  of  their  approach,  or  the  char 
coal  of  a  hastily-extinguished  fire  swirling  in  the  eddies 
of  the  little  pool.  And  mercifully  they  did  not  know, 
as  they  stood  there  in  close-held  rapture,  drinking  with 
clinging  lips  the  Lethe  of  all  things  save  love,  that 
twenty  feet  away,  from  the  vantage  of  a  dense  clematis 
tangle  veiling  a  clump  of  dwarf  box-elder,  a  pair  of 
evil  eyes  burned  above  a  snarling  mouth,  as  a  grimy 
hand  drew  cautiously  back  the  firing  bolt  of  a  Mauser. 


CHAPTER  XXII 
THE  RENUNCIATION 

BALLARD,  riding  ahead  of  his  posse,  reined  in  his 
horse  sharply  at  the  head  of  the  trail  leading  down  to 
the  stream  as  a  shot  crackled  viciously  in  the  depths 
of  the  canon  below.  There  was  no  mistaking  that 
crisp,  whip-like  report  of  a  small-calibered,  high-pressure 
rifle  cartridge,  and  he  wondered  much  that  it  was  not 
accompanied  by  the  whine  of  the  long  metal-cased  bul 
let  about  his  ears.  For  the  last  twenty-four  hours  had 
he  been  in  momentary  expectation  of  that  sinister  song, 
of  a  possible  succeeding  agony  of  blindness,  for  he 
realized  that  he  was  now  in  the  hands  of  the  gods,  and 
more  or  less  at  the  mercy  of  the  desperate  man  whom 
he  had  been  relentlessly  pursuing  for  the  last  three  days, 
a  man  who  would  just  as  relentlessly  kill  him  if  the  op 
portunity  offered,  a  man  who  knew  every  inch  of  these 
mountain  fastnesses  in  which  he  had  taken  refuge  in 
his  last  extremity. 

But  despite  all  hazards  of  ambush  he  had  kept  dog 
gedly  on  the  trail,  and  now  he  was  within  reach  of  his 
quarry.  Hurriedly  directing  two  of  his  best  mounted 
followers  to  cover  the  canon's  mouth  below,  and  the 
remaining  two  to  guard  the  only  other  possible  exit 
above,  he  rode  at  breakneck  speed  down  the  precipitous 

294 


THE  RENUNCIATION  295 

trail,   spurred  to   recklessness   by   a   woman's   wailing 
scream. 

'  Four  days  before,  the  Gunnison  Express  had  been 
boarded  at  a  watering  tank,  some  fifty  miles  out  of  the 
city,  by  a  particularly  villainous  band  of  desperadoes 
who,  not  content  with  looting  the  passengers,  mails  and 
express  matter,  had  maliciously  aggravated  their  crime 
with  murder,  deliberately  shooting  down  the  conductor 
and  express  messenger  after  the  robbery  had  been  ac 
complished.  It  was  an  unheard-of  brutality,  the  men 
being  helpless,  unarmed  and  unresisting,  and  pursuit 
of  the  wretches  had  been  so  prompt  and  successful  that 
every  member  of  the  gang,  save  the  one  now  in  the 
canon  before  him,  was  presently  decorating  a  series 
of  telegraph  posts  on  the  outskirts  of  the  city,  their 
captors  having  given  them  but  exceedingly  short  shrift. 
And  one  of  them,  in  an  unavailing  attempt  to  enlist  the 
mercy  of  his  grim  executioners,  had  confessed  that  Mat- 
lock  was  the  leader  of  the  gang;  but  with  characteristic 
cowardice  had  refrained  from  personal  active  participa 
tion  in  the  robbery,  merely  directing  their  operations 
from  a  safe  distance  as  arch  plotter.  His  trail  was 
soon  found  and  had  been  skillfully  followed  so  far  by 
the  expert  marshal,  whose  long  experience  in  trailing 
cattle  on  the  cow  range  had  made  him  one  of  the  best 
trackers  in  the  mountains. 

Ballard  was  at  a  loss  to  account  for  the  fatal  reck 
lessness  of  that  shot.  Matlock  must  certainly  have 
known  that  it  would  betray  his  whereabouts  and  he  was 
far  too  shrewd  a  villain  to  so  unnecessarily  expose  him 
self  to  the  risk  of  possible  capture.  There  was  but  one 


296  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

explanation,  and  the  marshal  sent  the  spurs  home  with 
a  great  foreboding  at  heart. 

"  He  had  to  fire  that  shot !  "  was  the  quick  conjecture. 
"  But  why?  He  is  either  in  a  tight  place  or  else  is  up 
to  some  fearful  deviltry.  That  was  certainly  a  wom 
an's  cry !  "  He  was  using  both  spur  and  cuerto  now, 
and  his  gallant  horse  was  responding  grandly. 

But  before  he  reached  the  little  glade,  the  echoes 
wakened  to  a  rumbling  roar  at  the  duller  concussion 
of  a  revolver  shot.  Then  followed  that  most  unnerv 
ing  thing,  the  mourning  of  a  woman  for  her  dead. 
With  a  magnificent  leap  the  horse  cleared  the  brawling 
torrent  and  in  the  edge  of  the  glade  Ballard  checked 
him  with  a  savage  oath.  Flinging  himself  from  the 
saddle,  he  ran  eagerly  forward,  pulling  his  revolver  as 
he  went. 

In  the  middle  of  the  glade,  beside  a  little  spring 
which  bubbled  up  amidst  the  grass,  sat  a  stylishly- 
gowned  woman  holding  to  her  bosom  the  head  of  his 
best  friend.  Across  the  white  forehead  trickled  down 
a  thin  crimson  stream  which  sadly  stained  and  dis 
colored  the  fawn-colored  riding  habit  and  left  its  grew- 
some  horror  on  the  lips  passionately  pressed  to  those 
of  the  man  lying  so  still  and  quiet  in  her  rocking  arms. 

And  ten  feet  away,  with  his  sightless  eyes  staring 
up  at  the  blue  sky,  his  shirt  still  smouldering  from  a 
powder  burn  above  his  heart,  lay  Matlock,  still  clutch 
ing  the  Mauser  in  his  stiffening  hand. 

Douglass,  on  dismounting,  had  picketed  the  horses 
and  thrown  himself  at  full  length  on  the  grass  with  his 
head  in  Constance's  lap.  She  had  temporarily  re- 


THE  RENUNCIATION  297 

gained  dominion  over  him  and  was  deliriously  happy 
in  consequence,  lavishing  upon  him  all  the  tenderness 
of  her  really  unselfish  affection.  With  tact  she  induced 
him  to  talk  of  his  earlier  life  and  its  vicissitudes,  and 
in  the  relation  he  was  so  frank  and  confiding  that  he 
was  invested  with  a  new  glory  in  her  sight.  Of  his 
amours  he  was  considerately  reticent,  his  innate  chivalry 
prompting  him  to  repress  anything  which  would  give 
her  pain,  and  she  was  wise  enough  to  refrain  from  any 
embarrassing  questions.  Their  communion  was  inti 
mate,  and  she  had  not  been  so  happy  in  many  months. 

Then  by  some  unfortunate  vagary  she  chanced  to 
refer  to  his  first  difficulty  with  Matlock,  asking  him 
for  the  real  facts  in  the  case,  and  the  man  crouched 
in  the  clematis  gnashed  his  teeth  at  Douglass's  con 
temptuous  reflections  upon  his  cowardice. 

"  Oh,  I  took  no  particular  risk,"  Douglass  said  care 
lessly;  "the  man  was  not  only  a  cowardly  cur,  but  a 
blundering  fool  as  well,  as  was  plainly  shown  in  his 
foolish  sale  of  that  apex  mine.  Why,  he  might  just  as 
well  have  got  the  million  out  of  it  that  I  did,  if  he  had 
been  honest  and  only  ordinarily  intelligent.  I  knew 
the  vein  was  there  all  the  time,  and  I  really  think  he 
had  a  suspicion  of  it.  But  his  great  mistake  was  his 
insane  hatred  of  me,  and  he  bungled  his  revenge  badly. 
He  really  thought  he  was  cleverly  swindling  me,  when 
the  fact  was  that  he  was  playing  directly  into  my 
hand." 

He  laughed  scornfully  and  drew  down  the  fair  head 
to  his. 

"  Let  us   forget  about  the   fool.     I  had  sworn  to 


298  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

kill  him  once,  but  now  that  he  was  unconsciously  the 
cause  of  all  my  good  fortune  I  feel  only  pity  for 
him." 

Over  in  the  clematis  the  sun  was  gleaming  on  a 
polished  tube  of  steel  that  was  leveled  directly  at  his 
heart,  the  eyes  aligned  along  its  sights  malignant  with 
insane  fury.  But  the  finger  crooked  about  the  trig 
ger  was  restrained  by  a  fiendish  thought  and  with  a 
chuckle  Matlock  waited. 

The  distance  was  absurdly  short  and  at  that  range 
he  could  clip  the  head  of  a  match.  Just  two  more 
inches  of  elevation  of  that  hated  head  and  he  could 
send  the  jacketed  bullet  shearing  just  through  the 
bridge  of  the  aquiline  nose,  splitting  both  eyeballs 
and  blinding  his  enemy  for  the  little  space  of  life  he 
would  thereafter  accord  him.  It  would  be  passing 
sweet  to  have  that  helpless,  sightless  thing  listen  un- 
seeingly  to  his  maltreatment  of  the  woman. 

At  that  moment  his  horse,  which  had  been  picketed 
some  distance  away  in  the  brush,  discovered  the  presence 
of  the  two  horses  in  the  glade  and  gave  a  loud  whinny 
of  salutation.  Douglass  was  on  his  feet  in  a  second, 
his  hand  upon  his  revolver  butt.  The  presence  of 
another  horse  in  that  canon  was  a  suspicious  thing  and 
as  he  inclined  his  head  toward  the  direction  from 
which  the  whinny  had  come,  his  sharp  eye  discerned  the 
gleam  in  the  clematis. 

Instantly  the  gun  leaped  from  its  scabbard,  but  in 
the  moment  of  its  release  there  came  a  faint  haze  from 
the  leafy  screen,  a  sharp  report,  and  Douglass  pitched 
forward,  face  down,  beside  the  little  spring,  the  re- 


THE  RENUNCIATION  299 

volver  falling  from  his  nerveless  hand  directly  into 
the  lap  of  the  screaming  woman. 

Baffled  of  his  proposed  torture,  and  intent  now  only 
on  making  sure  of  the  man  he  feared  even  in  death, 
Matlock  came  running  forward,  working  the  bolt  of 
his  rifle  as  he  ran.  At  the  side  of  his  victim  he  paused 
and  thrust  the  muzzle  of  the  weapon  against  the  mo 
tionless  head.  He  would  not  bungle  this  job,  at  any 
rate. 

But  even  as  his  finger  closed  about  the  trigger,  Con 
stance  Brevoort  was  upon  him  with  a  spring  like  that 
of  a  lioness  fighting  for  her  mate,  her  arms  fully  ex 
tended  and  both  hands  clutching  the  butt  of  the  heavy 
.44  Colt.  Instinctively  he  raised  his  weapon  to  fend 
off  this  new  and  unlooked-for  antagonist;  but  he  was 
a  moment  too  late.  As  the  flame  leaped  from  the 
muzzle  to  his  breast  he  numbly  lowered  the  rifle,  turned 
half  around,  and  walking  forward  a  few  steps,  clutched 
blindly  at  the  air  and  sank  limply  to  the  ground.  One 
spasmodic  struggle  in  which  he  turned  over  on  his  back 
and  then  he  lay  very  still,  his  mouth  distorted  by  a 
ghastly  grin. 

At  Ballard's  signaling  call,  he  was  hastily  rejoined 
by  his  posse  and  a  hurried  examination  of  Douglass's 
wound  was  made.  The  bullet  had  entered  the  skull 
just  above  the  left  temple,  making  its  exit  at  the  back 
of  the  head  just  where  the  parting  of  the  hair  ended. 
From  all  appearances  it  had  passed  directly  through 
the  upper  portion  of  the  brain,  and  Ballard  shook  his 
head  hopelessly.  But  the  heart  was  still  beating  vig 
orously  and  there  was  a  very  perceptible  pulse. 


3oo  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

A  rider  was  dispatched  instantly  to  the  nearest  ranch, 
some  two  miles  away,  for  a  conveyance,  returning 
quickly  with  a  buckboard.  A  rude  stretcher  was  im 
provised,  on  which  Douglass  was  tenderly  carried  to 
the  head  of  the  trail,  and  with  his  head  in  Constance's 
lap  he  was  carefully  but  quickly  driven  to  the  hotel. 
A  dozen  riders  were  soon  scouring  the  suburbs  for  the 
doctor,  who  was  out  making  his  round  of  daily  calls, 
and  just  at  noon  he  came  riding  post-haste.  As  -it  most 
fortunately  happened,  he  was  a  practitioner  of  ability 
and  experience,  having  filled  for  years  the  responsible 
position  of  operating  surgeon  in  one  of  the  East's  most 
famous  hospitals. 

"  It's  an  extra  thousand  on  the  side  from  me  if  you 
save  him,  Doc,"  said  Ballard  earnestly.  "  Don't  you 
let  my  pard  die!  "  The  surgeon  paused  long  enough 
from  his  examination  to  give  him  an  assuring  hand- 


44  That  was  superfluous,  Ballard,"  he  said  quietly. 
"  He  is  my  friend,  too."  And  there  was  an  appeal  in 
the  eyes  of  Constance  Brevoort  that  outweighed  all 
the  treasures  of  Golconda. 

Ballard,  looking  at  her  sympathetically,  suddenly  re 
ceived  an  inspiration.  Taking  her  quietly  to  one  side 
he  coughed  apologetically  and  finally  stammered  out: 

"  I  don't  want  to  butt  in,  Mrs.  Brevoort,  but  there 
will  have  to  be  a  more  or  less  rigid  investigation  of 
this  affair  by  the  coroner  and  —  well,  there  is  no  use 
of  your  being  put  to  any  annoyance  or  embarrassment. 
And  I  reckon  you  really  don't  know  what  happened 


THE  RENUNCIATION  301 

after  Ken  was  shot.  The  coroner  is  a  friend  of  ours 
and  will  not  deem  it  necessary  to  question  you  at  all; 
you  will  not  have  to  appear  at  the  inquest.  It's  a  lucky 
thing  I  happened  to  get  there  in  time  to  kill  Matlock 
before  he  could  do  any  further  mischief." 

He  looked  meaningly  at  her  and  she  gasped  with 
relief  and  wonder  as  the  significance  of  his  words 
dawned  upon  her. 

"  And  you  would  do  that  for  me,  a  stranger !  "  she 
said  incredulously.  "  How  noble  you  are !  " 

"  Well,"  he  said  slowly,  confused  by  the  gratitude 
streaming  from  her  eyes,  "  you  are  a  friend  of  his,  and 
I  think  he  would  prefer  it  so.  So  don't  discuss  the 
matter  at  all  with  anyone;  just  stand  'em  all  off  some 
how.  Say  you  fainted  when  the  first  shot  was  fired. 
And  let  me  do  all  the  explaining.  I  was  justified  in  do 
ing  it  in  my  official  capacity,  you  know,  and  my  statement 
will  end  the  matter." 

And  so  the  world  was  none  the  wiser.  In  the  days 
to  come  two  others  were  to  learn  the  truth,  and  to 
these  four  alone  was  it  restricted  for  all  time.  That 
night  after  the  inquest  the  body  of  the  dead  desperado 
was  taken  to  Gunnison,  and  Justice  was  satisfied. 

To  the  woman  waiting  in  the  darkened  room  that 
afternoon  it  seemed  an  age  before  the  surgeon  returned 
with  the  implements  necessary  for  the  operation  he  had 
promptly  determined  on.  Ever  and  anon  she  would 
look  fearfully  at  her  hands  and  shudder  at  what  she 
thought  she  saw  there.  It  would  be  easier  to  bear  if 
she  could  only  be  assured  that  it  had  not  all  been  in 


302  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

vain;  the  figure  on  the  bed  lay  so  alarmingly  still.  A 
dozen  times  she  placed  her  ear  to  his  heart  to  convince 
herself  that  it  was  still  beating. 

The  door  creaked  shrilly  on  its  rusty  hinges  and  the 
doctor  entered.  After  him  followed  Blount  and  Bal- 
lard,  bearing  between  them  a  long  deal  table  requisi 
tioned  from  the  dining-room.  Raising  the  curtains,  the 
room  was  flooded  with  a  strong  white  light,  in  which 
the  table  was  placed. 

When  the  wounded  man  had  been  removed  thereto, 
the  surgeon  turned  to  Constance. 

"  All  operations  are  more  or  less  attended  with  un 
pleasant  features,  Madam,"  he  said  kindly.  "  Had  you 
not  better  retire?" 

She  begged  piteously  to  be  allowed  to  remain,  even 
insisting  upon  her  ability  to  render  any  necessary  as 
sistance.  But  he  saw  her  shudder  of  apprehension  as 
he  opened  the  case  of  glittering  instruments  and  he 
hesitated  dubiously.  She  clasped  her  hands  in  prayer 
ful  entreaty  and  he  turned  to  his  work. 

A  few  skillful  strokes  of  the  scalpel  and  he  nodded 
his  satisfaction. 

"  Merely  a  scalp  wound  with  a  slight  depression  of 
the  parietal  bone,"  he  said  reassuringly.  "  It  will  re 
quire  trephining  but  that  is  at  the  worst  only  a  minor 
operation.  As  soon  as  the  pressure  on  the  brain  is 
relieved  he  will  recover  consciousness.  The  bullet  did 
not  penetrate  the  skull  at  all,  being  deflected  by  its 
acute  angle  of  impact.  It  was  an  exceedingly  close 
call,  but  in  six  weeks  he  will  never  know  he  was  shot 
at  all,  provided  no  unforeseen  complications  arise." 


THE  RENUNCIATION  303 

A  half  hour  later  Douglass  opened  his  eyes.  His 
vision  was  still  uncertain  and  he  blinked  uncompre- 
hendingly  at  the  white  faces  about  him.  Then  he 
caught  sight  of  the  woman  kneeling  at  the  bedside  in 
an  agony  of  thanksgiving,  her  face  hidden  in  her  hands. 
He  half  rose  from  the  table  where  he  was  lying  and 
held  out  his  arms  pleadingly  through  the  mists  that 
clouded  brain  and  eyes  alike: 

"  Gracie,  sweetheart,  forgive  — !  " 

As  he  fell  back  fainting  in  the  arms  of  the  irate  doc 
tor,  who  was  taken  unawares  by  his  patient's  unexpected 
action,  and  who  was  savagely  cursing  his  own  remiss- 
ness  in  not  having  strapped  him  to  the  table,  the  woman 
rose  from  her  knees  and  with  one  hand  pressed  to  her 
heart,  tottered  unsteadily  towards  the  door.  Ballard, 
springing  to  her  assistance,  recoiled  at  the  hopeless 
despair  and  misery  written  on  that  face.  At  the 
threshold  she  hesitated  a  moment,  steadying  herself 
with  one  hand  braced  against  the  casing.  Then  of  a 
sudden  she  turned  and  walked  firmly  to  the  table;  dis 
regarding  the  surgeon's  indignant  remonstrance,  she 
leaned  over  the  unconscious  man  and  laid  her  lips  on 
his.  For  a  full  minute  she  held  them  there,  her  form 
as  motionless  as  his,  then  with  the  slowness  of  one  who 
is  wearied  unto  death,  she  raised  her  head  and  stood 
with  closed  eyes  beside  him. 

The  men's  faces  were  averted  and  their  heads  bowed 
as  she  went  silently  out.  For  not  a  one  of  them  but 
was  fully  conversant  with  her  relations  to  Douglass, 
and  one  of  them  at  least  knew  of  his  engagement  to 
Grace  Carter. 


3o4          THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

But  all  of  them  were  awed  by  the  tragedy  of  this 
woman's  misspent  love,  all  reverently  silenced  by  the 
atoning  sacrifice  offered  up  in  that  heart-breaking  kiss 
of  renunciation. 

A  week  later  when  Douglass  had  regained  full  con 
sciousness  he  was  informed  that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bre- 
voort  had  returned  to  New  York.  He  felt  not  a  little 
hurt  at  her  unceremonious  departure  without  a  word  of 
farewell  to  him  and  was  inclined  to  be  morose  and  sple 
netic  during  the  succeeding  fortnight  of  convalescence. 
From  Red  McVey  he  had  learned  of  Grace's  departure 
on  the  day  of  his  mishap,  and  was  much  relieved  to 
know  that  she  was  probably  unaware  of  his  injury  at 
the  time  of  leaving,  it  being  very  doubtful  if  she  had 
even  heard  of  it  up  to  the  present  time;  her  foreign 
address  being  unknown  to  any  of  her  western  friends, 
there  had  been  no  interchange  of  correspondence,  and 
local  happenings  of  this  nature  were  not  of  sufficient 
interest  to  the  eastern  public  to  receive  Insertion  in  the 
New  York  papers.  At  least  that  is  what  he  thought, 
forgetting  that  a  robbery  of  the  mails  is  an  item  of 
universal  interest  and  also  overlooking  the  fact  that  he 
was  now  a  millionaire,  whose  attempted  assassination 
by  a  ringleader  of  the  desperadoes  had  been  the  welcome 
justification  for  glaring  scare-heads  in  all  the  metro 
politan  dailies.  It  would  have  cut  him  to  the  quick 
had  she  been  cognizant  of  his  trouble  and  evinced  no 
interest.  He  was  also  cynically  resentful  of  Con 
stance's  apparent  defection,  ungenerously  attributing  it 
to  her  fear  of  being  compromised. 

Imagine  his  contrition  when  Ballard  one  day  sought 


THE  RENUNCIATION  305 

Him  out  and  delivered  unto  him  an  envelope  addressed 
in  Constance's  familiar  dainty  chirography,  admitting 
its  detention  for  over  three  weeks  by  her  express  com 
mand. 

"  I  was  not  to  give  it  to  you  until  you  were  fairly 
off  the  puny  list,"  said  the  marshal  gravely,  "  and  there 
is  something  else  that  you  should  know  before  you  read 
that  letter." 

And  he  proceeded  to  relate  without  any  embellish 
ment  the  facts  in  the  matter  of  Matlock's  taking  off, 
supplementing  them  with  other  details  of  interest  to  the 
man  who  sat  for  hours  after  his  friend  had  gone  in 
bitter  self-communion.  It  was  quite  dark  when  he 
went  supperless  to  his  room  and  opened  the  cream- 
tinted  envelope. 

The  hours  came  and  passed  unrecked,  and  the  gray 
dawn  found  him  still  sitting  by  the  rickety  little  table, 
head  in  hands,  poring  dully  over  the  lines  that  to  his 
disordered  fancy  seemed  written  in  her  heart's  blood. 

"I  am  going  away  to-morrow,  out  into  the  pitiful  Nothing  in 
which  all  things  end ;  and  soon  I  will  be  even  less  than  a  memory  to 
you.  It  is  best  so,  for  I  would  not  have  you  hampered  by  a  single 
regret  in  your  enjoyment  of  the  happiness  that  the  future  holds 
for  you. 

"  You  owe  me  nothing,  although  I  have  given  you  all  —  and 
gloried  in  the  giving.  For  you  at  least  vouchsafed  me,  through 
barred  windows,  a  glimpse  into  the  sanctuary  where  such  as  I  may 
not  enter.  I  realize  now  that  it  was  impossible  for  me  to  have  ever 
entered  into  the  holy  of  holies ;  and  yet,  dear,  can  you  blame  me  for 
hoping? 

"  I  know  now  that  I  could  never  have  entered  fully  into  your  life ; 
the  clay  of  my  being  leans  too  awry  for  that.  But  am  I  to  blame 
for  the  shaking  of  the  Potter's  hand?  I  sought  with  all  the  as 
siduity  of  a  weak  woman's  love,  but  there  was  a  door  to  which  I 


306          THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

never  found  the  key,  a  veil  behind  which  I  could  not  peer.  Yet  to 
me  was  given  the  rapture  of  the  outer  temple  —  and  it  was  the 
bread  of  life. 

"  Be  generous  to  me  in  this,  the  hour  of  my  bitter  atonement, 
and  believe  that  my  love  was  as  pure  and  unselfish  as  it  is  possible 
for  a  woman  to  give.  The  proof  of  it  is  that  I  am  giving  you  up 
now  when  I  know  that  by  a  little  finesse  I  could  pull  you  down  to 
hell  with  me.  For  I  have  spilled  the  Red  Wine  for  you,  my  Wolf, 
and  the  reek  of  it  would  have  been  a  bond  and  heel-rope  between 
us. 

"  It  is  because  of  my  love  for  you  that  I  am  giving  you  up,  giving 
you  into  the  hands  of  another  woman.  I  have  been  but  a  flame 
to  you,  burning  out  the  dross  from  your  nature  so  that  she  might 
pour  into  her  heart's  crucible  only  the  pure  gold.  God  grant  she 
mold  the  chalice  aright. 

"And  now  farewell  while  I  have  yet  strength  to  say  it.  Forget 
me  if  you  can.  But  if  from  the  heights  you  ever  look  backward 
and  downward,  and  in  the  sea  of  memory  catch  one  faint  reflection 
of  me,  let  the  thought  be  a  kindly  one. 

"  For  oh,  Man,  who  was  more  than  God  to  me,  I  loved  you  too 
well!" 

Very  reverently  he  kissed  the  letter,  then  burned  it 
in  the  flame  of  the  smoky  lamp.  It  was  a  long  and 
weary  ride  to  the  nearest  telegraph  office  at  Gunnison, 
yet  he  never  dismounted  from  his  staggering  horse 
until  he  heard  the  clicking  of  the  sounders  in  the  dingy 
little  office. 

"  My  life  is  yours  alone,"  he  wrote  firmly;  "  let  me 
make  amends.  Will  you  mold  the  chalice?  " 

Feverishly  he  strode  up  and  down  his  apartment  at 
the  hotel  until  her  answering  wire  was  laid  in  his  hand : 

"  You  are  even  more  noble  than  I  thought,  and  shall 
have  your  reward.  Grace  waits  you  at  Cairo.  Have 
written  her  all  that  she  must  ever  know.  Go  at  once 
and  God  bless  you  both !  " 


THE  RENUNCIATION  307 

He  left  that  night  for  the  East,  and  at  the  house  of 
the  Brevoorts  learned  that  Mr.  Brevoort  and  his  wife 
had  taken  their  departure  two  days  before  on  an  ex 
tended  tour  of  the  Orient.  Yes,  Mrs.  Brevoort  had 
left  an  enclosure  for  him. 

It  contained  only  a  little  note  from  Grace  Carter  to 
Constance  and  in  his  misery  he  could  not  understand 
why  the  latter  had  urged  him  to  go  to  Cairo : 

"  I  forgive  you,  even  as  I  think  God  has  forgiven 
you,"  Grace  wrote,  "  for  I,  too,  have  been  whirled  in 
the  maelstrom  of  his  irresistible  passion.  I  do  not 
presume  to  sit  in  judgment  of  you,  for  you  have  given 
him  his  life  —  and  at  what  an  awful  price!  May 
God  grant  you  forgetfulness,  the  boon  that  has  been 
denied  me." 

Underneath  this  was  written  in  Mrs.  Carter's  angu 
lar  hand: 

"  I  found  this  on  my  daughter's  table  the  day  after 
she  was  stricken  down  by  brain  fever,  and  an  investiga 
tion  of  her  correspondence  shows  it  to  have  been  in 
tended  for  you.  Now  that  the  danger  is  passed  and 
she  is  on  the  way  to  recovery,  I  send  it  to  you  with  my 
contempt.  Deem  yourself  fortunate  that  it  is  not  my 
curse,  instead." 

On  the  forward  deck  of  the  great  ocean  grayhound 
that  was  cleaving  the  waters  at  record  speed,  a  man 
stood  that  night  with  his  face  turned  ever  to  the  East. 
It  would  be  ten  days  more  before  he  could  kiss  the  hem 
of  her  garment  in  supplication,  ten  days  of  hell  in 
whose  torturing  fires  his  soul  shriveled  with  a  sickening 
tear. 

If  he  had  lost  her,  after  all! 


CHAPTER  XXIII 
BELSHAZZAR  COMES  BACK  TO  STAY 

IN  her  apartments  at  the  Grand  Hotel  de  Esbekle- 
yeh  in  Cairo,  a  wan-faced  girl  was  looking  wearily  out 
over  the  splendid  panorama  spread  before  her.  In 
the  heel  of  the  afternoon  the  level  rays  of  the  sun  were 
gilding  parti-colored  minarets  of  mosque  and  palaces 
with  barbaric  splendor.  In  the  distance  the  Shoubrah 
palaces  gleamed  even  more  fairy-like  than  usual;  the 
Abbasieyeh  camps  were  astir  with  multi-hued  life,  and 
on  its  frowning  rock  the  distant  citadel  was  a  gem  in 
red  bronze. 

On  the  bosom  of  the  world's  most  mysterious  river, 
the  brown  sails  were  gleaming  like  the  wings  of  great 
birds,  and  inshore  the  graceful  lateens  under  the 
dipping  shadoofs  were  closely  folded  as  they  lay  at  rest. 
Over  beyond  Ghizeh  loomed  the  Pyramids  which  she 
was  to  visit  on  the  morrow,  the  Sphinx  in  its  majesty 
between.  It  was  fairyland,  in  truth,  the  most  gor 
geous  riot  of  color  and  mystery  in  the  whole  world, 
and  yet  she  saw  it  not.  The  languorous  air  was  heavy 
almost  to  oppression  with  the  blended  odor  of  jasmine, 
orange,  citron,  and  the  thousand  and  one  flowers  of  the 
myriad  gardens,  mingled  with  the  reek  of  the  bazaars 
and  the  indescribable  breath  of  the  Nile.  And  yet 
she  was  all  unconscious  of  it. 

308 


BELSHAZZAR  COMES  BACK  TO  STAY^    309 

For  in  the  nostrils  of  her  introspection  there  was  only 
the  spicy  tang  of  lemonias  and  sagebrush,  and  the 
eyes  of  her  soul  saw  only  a  little  glade  embowered  with 
artemesla  and  clematis,  nestled  deep  in  the  forbidding 
cleft  in  the  Rocky  Mountains,  many  thousand  miles 
away.  A  glade  where  lay  a  dead  man  with  the  snarl 
of  baffled  hatred  petrified  on  his  discolored  lips,  and 
another  wounded  almost  to  death,  his  head  clasped 
close  to  the  bosom  of  a  woman  whom  she  should  be 
logically  hating  as  woman  was  never  hated  before. 

And  yet  in  the  heart  of  her  there  was  only  pity  for 
the  woman,  whose  letter  lay  in  her  lap.  For  the  hun 
dredth  time  she  read  the  tear-stained  words,  feeling  a 
new  accession  of  tenderness  at  each  transcribed  sob : 

"  Yesterday,  at  the  '  horse-shoe  bend  *  in  Lost  Canon,  I  killed  the 
man  called  Jasper  Matlock,  after  he  had  shot  Kenneth  Douglass 
from  ambush.  Mr.  Douglass  was  not  injured  seriously,  but  at  the 
time  I  thought  him  dead.  Somehow  I  found  his  revolver  in  my 
hands  and  the  man  was  making  a  second  attempt. 

"Mr.  Ballard  —  ah,  the  great  hearts  of  these  westerners  —  mag 
nanimously  sought  to  shield  me  from  the  consequences  and  pub 
licity.  As  though  all  the  publicity  in  the  world  mattered  now. 

"  I  have  wronged  you,  but  in  one  thing  only :  the  lie  about  your 
engagement  to  Ellerslie.  That  was  my  doing.  In  everything  else 
I  had  the  justification  of  every  law  of  Nature;  I  loved  him  far  bet 
ter  than  you  could  ever  do,  and  he  was  logically  mine  if  I  could  but 
win  him.  I  was  ready  and  eager  to  sacrifice  all,  while  you  in  your 
pitiful  selfishness  and  egotism  turned  from  the  glory  laid  at  your 
feet  and  yielded  him  nothing.  Oh,  you  fool !  You  poor,  weak 
fool!  To  deny  him  even  the  small  assurance  of  your  vain  little 
body,  when  you  should  have  found,  as  I  did,  ecstatic  exaltation  in 
letting  him  trample  on  my  soul. 

"  Oh !  child,  in  your  wealth  of  possession  be  generous  and  give 
me  a  little  of  your  kindness,  a  little  of  your  forgiveness.  I  have  so 
little,  so  little  of  him.  I  know  now  that  I  have  never  even  had  his 


3io          THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

respect,  at  times  barely  his  tolerance.  And,  God  help  me,  I  loved 
him  so.  Can  you  understand  when  I  say  that  I  love  him  even 
the  more  that  he  was  always  greater  than  the  manifold  arts  I  ex 
ercised  upon  him?  That  all  my  sacrifices,  my  tenderness,  my 
adoration  gave  him  but  apathetic  amusement?  I  was  ever  but  a 
toy  to  divert  him  from  the  agony  your  neglect  caused  him  and  any 
other  woman  as  fair  would  have  sufficed  as  well. 

"  To  my  shame  be  it  said  that  I  knew  it  all  the  time ;  but  I  was 
hoping  against  hope.  To-day  I  go  away  from  here,  and  from  him, 
forever.  He  will  come  to  you  as  certainly  as  the  iron  flies  to  the 
magnet,  and  he  will  be  suffering,  penitent  and  purified.  My  share 
of  him  has  been  the  coarse  dross  of  passion  that  must  be  skimmed 
from  the  crucible  of  every  strong  man's  hot  heart ;  yours  will  be 
the  refined  gold  of  his  soul's  first  and  last  real  love.  For  God's 
sake,  child,  play  with  happiness  no  more,  lest  you  lose  it  as  I  have 
done. 

"  In  the  bitterness  of  the  days  to  come  it  would  lessen  the  pain 
if  I  thought  you  could  ever  come  to  forgive  me.  I  can  see  to 
write  no  more.  Mayhap  these  tears  will  in  time  wash  out  the  stain 
on  my  soul.  That  on  my  hands  I  must  see  forever.  It  is  the  visi 
ble  proof  of  my  atonement,  for  by  it  I  gave  back  his  life  to  you." 

\ 

The  paper  was  wet  with  her  tears  as  she  thrust  it  into 
the  bosom  of  her  dress.  Beside  the  open  window  she 
knelt  and  prayed  for  the  peace  of  a  troubled  soul. 
But  it  could  never  be  —  this  homecoming  of  her  lost 
love.  Her  heart,  too,  was  dead;  the  feet  of  her  idol 
had  crumbled  and  the  glorious  fabric  of  her  dreams 
was  dust.  The  yellow  drifting  sands  of  the  Libyan 
desert  shimmering  before  her  aching  eyes  were  no  more 
dry  and  lifeless  than  the  dead  love  moldering  in  her 
heart.  Never  again  would  her  pulses  leap  at  the  sound 
of  his  voice  or  her  senses  reel  at  his  touch.  That  was 
as  much  a  thing  of  the  past  as  Thebes,  Luzor,  Karnak 
and  Athor  out  yonder,  a  dead  thing  buried  in  the  ashes 
of  a  murdered  hope. 


BELSHAZZAR  COMES  BACK  TO  STAY     311 

Over  in  the  aridity  of  the  eternal  desert,  where  for 
ages  she  had  watched  in  contemptuous  silence  the  petty 
tragedies  enacted  on  the  worn  old  stage  of  Life  by  the 
gibbering  puppets  who  call  themselves  Man,  the 
woman-breasted  Sphinx,  touched  by  the  shadow  of  a 
passing  cloud,  smiled  cynically  into  the  vacancy  of  the 
everlasting  East. 

Two  hours  after  her  carriage  had  entered  the  air 
line  avenue  from  Ghizeh  to  the  Pyramids,  the  incoming 
train  from  Alexandria  bore  into  the  composite  Bedlam 
called  "  Masr  el  Kahira  "  a  bronzed  young  American 
at  sight  of  whom  more  than  one  yashmak  fluttered 
eagerly  as  its  dark-eyed  owner  beamed  approval  of 
this  handsome  giaour.  Even  the  lounging  pith-hatted 
Englishmen  nodded  their  appreciation  of  this  lithe 
Yankee  who  so  hurriedly  bounded  up  the  steps  of  Shep- 
heard's  Hotel  and  spoke  imperiously  to  the  Maitre  d' 
Hotel  of  that  famous  hostelry. 

Money  is  everything  in  Cairo,  and  Lord  Frederick 
Chillingham  of  H.  R.  M.  Hussars  was  open  in  his  ad 
miration  of  the  horsemanship  of  the  newcomer  as,  a 
short  half-hour  afterward,  Douglass,  mounted  on  a 
superb  barb,  swept  out  into  the  square.  How  he  ob 
tained  accouterments  and  that  magnificent  mount  in  so 
short  a  time  is  a  mystery  only  known  to  the  smiling 
factotums  who  bowed  and  scraped  their  enjoyment  of 
one  of  the  most  princely  douceurs  that  had  ever  been 
lavished  upon  them. 

"  Cowboy,  b'gad !  "  drawled  the  honorable  Freddie 
knowingly  to  a  fair-faced  young  English  girl  who  was 
watching  the  rider  with  a  degree  of  interest  rather  dis- 


3i2  THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

tasteful  to  the  stalwart  guardsman.  "  I  wonder  now 
where  the  beggar  got  that  horse.  Best  looker  I've 
seen  in  Egypt." 

"  Best  lookers,  you  mean,  Freddie,"  corrected  the 
girl  mischievously;  "  but  how  do  you  know  he  is  a  cow 
boy?" 

"  By  the  seat  of  him,"  tersely  explained  the  blond 
giant.  "  Rides  straight  up,  grips  with  his  thighs,  don't 
know  he's  got  stirrups;  and  don't  need  them,  either. 
Those  Yankees  can  ride  no  end ! "  he  concluded 
grudgingly.  "  This  one  seems  to  be  in  a  rush!  " 

But  once  out  on  the  tawny  stretch  that  lay  between 
him  and  his  heart's  desire,  Douglass  checked  the  swal 
low-like  flight  of  that  wonderful  blue-blood  and  paced 
more  leisurely  along  in  profound  meditation.  He  was 
not  at  all  sure  of  his  reception.  What  was  he  going  to 
say  in  pleading  to  his  outraged  queen?  What  God- 
given  words  would  be  vouchsafed  him  to  offer  in  pal 
liation?  He  groaned  at  thought  of  the  hopelessness 
of  it.  What  had  he  deserved  but  her  contemptuous 
scorn ! 

He  licked  his  lips  nervously  and  a  cold  sweat  broke 
on  his  brow  despite  the  stifling  heat  that  beat  up  in 
shimmering  waves  against  his  face.  He  fumbled  a 
moment  in  the  bosom  of  his  shirt,  and  prayed  for  the 
second  time  in  many  years: 

"Oh!  Mother,  help  me!" 

Suddenly,  to  the  trained  far-seeing  eyes  sweeping 
that  cheerless  waste  hungrily,  appeared  a  faint  speck 
of  color  on  one  of  the  sand  dunes  at  the  base  of  the 


BELSHAZZAR  COMES  BACK  TO  STAY     313 

Sphinx.  With  eyes  fixed  unwaveringly  upon  it  he  put 
the  barb  at  full  speed.  What  he  would  do,  what  he 
would  say  —  all  hesitation  dropped  away  in  his  fierce 
desire  to  look  into  her  eyes  once  more,  to  hear  that 
sweet  voice  again,  though  it  were  only  to  send  him 
hurtling  down  into  the  hell  of  his  deserts. 

Grace  Carter,  sitting  alone  in  the  carriage,  watched 
listlessly  the  rest  of  her  party  kodaking  at  a  distance 
the  immobile  face  of  the  Great  Mystery.  But  she  saw 
them  as  in  a  dream  and  ere  long  she  was  looking,  with 
a  heart  as  old  and  cold  and  dead  as  that  of  the  grim 
Mistress  of  the  Nile,  as  far  and  unseeingly  into  the 
west  as  the  Sphinx  stared  into  the  east. 

Before  her  fast-misting  eyes  blazed  one  line  in  Con 
stance's  letter: 

"  For  God's  sake,  play  with  happiness  no  more !  " 

It  would  be  easy  to  obey  that  prayer,  she  thought 
bitterly,  for  never  more  would  happiness  come  anigh 
her.  Afar  in  the  desert  a  sand  spout  flared  up,  whirled 
along  feverishly  for  a  few  minutes,  and  was  gone.  She 
watched  it  with  a  strange  fascination  and  muttered 
brokenly : 

"  Just  like  his  love,  fierce,  threatening,  grand  and 
evanescent.  And  yet  I  was  to  blame!  Oh,  why  did 
I  ever  let  him  go?" 

The  twanging  of  some  stringed  instrument  in  one  of 
the  Bedouin  black  tents  clustered  about  the  base  of  the 
Sphinx  woke  a  long-forgotten  chord  and  she  mechan 
ically  crooned  the  words  of  a  song  that  once  wailed 
a  heart  misery  as  great  as  hers : 


THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

" '  Could  you  come  back  to  me,  Douglass,  Douglass, 

Back  with  the  old-time  smile  that  I  knew? 
I'd  be  so  faithful  and  loving,  Douglass! 
Douglass,   Douglass,   tender   and   true! 

"  *  Could  you  come  back  with  — ' " 

Her  voice  broke  and  she'  buried  her  face  in  her 
hands,  her  form  convulsed  by  a  paroxysm  of  tears. 
Then  to  her  numbed  senses  came  vaguely  another  re 
membrance  of  the  buried  past,  frantic  hoof-beats.  For 
a  second  she  cowered  as  she  had  done  on  that  awful 
day,  then  she  turned  with  a  sigh  of  relief  to  welcome, 
this  time,  the  end  of  all  things.  Through  her  tear- 
blinded  eyes  she  saw  the  blue  stallion  sweeping  down 
upon  her  but  she  never  flinched.  God  was  going  to  be 
kind  after  all. 

But  even  as  the  lean  head  ranged  beside  her,  the 
foam  splattering  on  her  bosom  as  she  involuntarily 
covered  her  eyes  with  her  hands,  from  out  of  Chaos 
came  a.  cry : 

"  Gracie,   forgive  — !  " 

Slowly  she  dropped  her  hands  and  stared  incredu 
lously.  What  was  this  wonder  that  had  come  to  her 
in  the  moment  of  death?  She  tottered  unsteadily, 
swaying  to  and  fro  like  a  wind-tossed  leaf.  As  in  a 
fog  she  saw  him  there  with  arms  extended,  waiting  to 
carry  her  across  the  dark  ford. 

Then,  by  God's  mercy,  her  brain  cleared  and  she 
knew. 

At  the  Court  of  Europe's  greatest  prince  men  strive 


BELSHAZZAR  COMES  BACK  TO  STAY     315 

with  each  other  doing  honor  to  the  beautiful  wife  of  the 
new  American  Ambassador,  Anselm  Brevoort. 

"  As  good  as  she  is  beautiful,  God  bless  her!  "  was 
Frederick,  Lord  Chillingham's  enthusiastic  eulogy  one 
night  when  her  name  was  mentioned  at  the  United,  and 
his  comrades  silently  drank  her  health  standing. 

"  As  pure  and  as  cold  as  the  stars  above,  God  bless 
her !  "  sighs  the  silver-haired  Ambassador,  looking 
wistfully  at  her  where  she  sits  with  her  protege,  little 
Eulalie  Blount,  in  her  lap,  patiently  explaining  that  the 
tail  makes  all  the  difference  between  O  and  Q. 

"  I  love  oo,  Tonnie !  "  lisps  the  little  tot  kneeling 
by  her  little  white  bed.  And  the  woman,  clasping  in 
her  bosom  a  tiny  satin  bag  containing  a  common  yel 
low  telegraph  blank  on  which  are  written  a  few  now 
undecipherable  words,  looks  dry-eyed  into  the  night  and 
wonders. 

•  •  •  •  • 

In  the  marshal's  office  at  Gunnison,  over  their 
cigars  and  a  big-bellied  bottle,  Red  McVey  and  Bal- 
lard  are  looking  reminiscently  at  a  Mauser  hanging  on 
the  wall. 

"  I  reckon  that  were  thu  best  jawb  yuh  evah  done, 
Lew,"  says  the  cowboy  with  much  conviction. 

Ballard,  dropping  his  eyes  unaccountably,  hesitates 
long  over  his  selection  of  a  fresh  weed. 

"  What  the  hell  else  was  there  to  do?"  he  says 
gruffly.  But  the  recording  angel,  looking  kindly  and 
indulgently  at  the  honest  face,  smiles  softly  and  for 
gets  the  pen  in  his  hand. 


3i6          THE  SONG  OF  THE  WOLF 

For  a  long  time  the  men  smoke  in  a  silence  more 
eloquent  than  words.  Then  Ballard  shifts  the  threads 
in  the  loom. 

"  That's  a  great  kid  that  Ken's  got,  I  hear.  Think 
I'll  take  a  pasear  over  there  with  you  when  you  go  back 
and  look  at  his  points." 

"  That  kid!"  says  Red  enthusiastically.  "  Say, 
Lew,  hush!  He's  thu  biggest  thing  on  thu  range. 
Why,  thu  damn  leetle  cuss  actooly  kin  make  fists  al 
ready,  an'  he  jes'  nacherally  pre-empts  my  ole  hawg  laig 
every  time  I  goes  there.  Thu  han'le  is  good  to  cut 
his  teeths  on,  Ken  says,  an'  he  kin  eat  it  cleah  off  if  he 
wants.  I'm  thinkin'  o'  leavin'  my  spah  gun  foh  him 
to  nibble  on  at  odd  times." 

"An'  Ken?" 

There  is  a  certain  diffidence  in  the  sturdy  fellow's 
voice.  Red  looking  at  him  with  a  world  of  reassurance 
in  his  laughing  blue  eyes,  grins  broadly. 

"Hell!  "  he  says  succinctly.  "  Yuh  go  oveh  theah 
and  watch  hes  eyes  follerin'  of  her.  When  a  man  gits 
through  playin'  thu  goat  he  gin'rally  feels  some  obli 
gated  to  act  sheep  foh  a  spell,  so's  to  even  up  thu 
deal." 

«.•••• 

Over  at  the  Circle  D  ranch  a  broad-shouldered  man 
in  flannel  shirt  and  "  fair  leather "  chaparejos  lies 
sprawled  on  the  veranda  beside  a  low-hung  hammock 
in  which  is  lying  a  brown-haired  woman.  Pressed  to 
her  lips  is  a  spray  of  mountain  heart's-ease,  and  in  her 
heart  is  the  sweeter  ease  of  mountains  removed.  The 


BELSHAZZAR  COMES  BACK  TO  STAY     317 

man  is  dusty  and  saddle-worn,  but  in  his  heart  is  a  great 
Peace. 

Tenderly  he  lays  his  lips  on  the  hand  shyly  touching 
his  bronzed  cheek  and  the  woman  crimsons  with  pleas 
ure.  For  a  long  time  they  lie  in  understanding  silence, 
then  the  grave  rich  voice  of  the  man  says : 

"  Tell  me,  sweetheart,  do  you  never  long  for  the 
pleasant  gayety,  the  diversions,  the  distractions  of  your 
old  social  world?  Are  you  really  happy  and  content 
here  in  this  circumscribed  little  sphere?" 

She  slips  quickly  from  the  hammock  to  the  floor  be 
side  him  and  draws  his  head  up  to  her  bosom. 

"  Do  I  ever  long?  Yes,  sweetheart,  I  have  wept 
with  longing  —  for  the  hour  of  your  daily  return.  I 
have  sighed  —  for  the  coming  of  the  dusk  that  would 
bring  you  home  to  baby  and  me !  I  have  pined  —  for 
the  music  of  the  hoof-beats  that  would  thrill  me  if  they 
passed  over  my  grave." 

From  the  little  nursery  comes  the  lusty  insistence  of 
a  child  clamoring  for  his  desires.  Very  gently  she  re 
leases  herself  from  his  embrace.  Then  this  Madonna 
of  the  Range  goes  proudly  to  the  mothering  of  her 
first-born. 

Old  Abigail,  hastening  likewise  to  obey  that  im 
perious  summons,  smiles  approvingly  as  the  man,  catch 
ing  at  the  garment  trailing  above  his  face,  lays  his  lips 
to  its  hem. 

"  I  kinda  reckon,"  she  says  softly  to  herself,  "  that 
Belshazzar  has  come  back  to  stay!  " 

THE   END 


IL^RKELEV  LIBRARIES 


YB  33398 


